I have a Nautilus CC Plus which I have had for about 4 years. Like others have said on here, the robot just moves aimlessly throughout the pool during a cleaning cycle going over the same area multiple times while missing somewhere between 20-40% of the pool. I have to run it through about 7 cycles to get my ~30x20 foot 35000 gallon pool somewhere close to 100% clean. Do the newer models like the Sigma not miss so many spots, or is it better to just get the cheapest cleaner with a manual control option?
Do Premium Robots Actually Do a Better Job?
- Thread starter tylercol
- Start date
Tyler,
I don't believe that more expensive robots clean any better than the ones without all the bells and whistles.
That said, if you can actually see where the robot has been, you have other issues.
I have been using robots for almost 15 years.. I've had really old Dolphins as well as some of their newer ones, and in ever case they would pick up everything in the pool on the first cycle, about 95% of the time, and 100% when two cycles are run.
Keep in mind that in my three TFP pools, there are no tracks left by the robot, so I have no way to know if it covers every square inch of the pool floor. What I do know, is if there is just one one dime-sized leaf in the pool, it will be gone on the first pass 95% of the time. This leads me to believe that it must be cleaning the whole floor pretty consistently.
I use the pleated filters in my Dolphin robots..
Thanks,
Jim R.
I don't believe that more expensive robots clean any better than the ones without all the bells and whistles.
That said, if you can actually see where the robot has been, you have other issues.
I have been using robots for almost 15 years.. I've had really old Dolphins as well as some of their newer ones, and in ever case they would pick up everything in the pool on the first cycle, about 95% of the time, and 100% when two cycles are run.
Keep in mind that in my three TFP pools, there are no tracks left by the robot, so I have no way to know if it covers every square inch of the pool floor. What I do know, is if there is just one one dime-sized leaf in the pool, it will be gone on the first pass 95% of the time. This leads me to believe that it must be cleaning the whole floor pretty consistently.
I use the pleated filters in my Dolphin robots..
Thanks,
Jim R.
midlifecrisis
Bronze Supporter
- Jan 3, 2023
- 330
- Pool Size
- 9500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I bought a Dolphin Sigma (~$1,500) earlier this year for my new pool about the time I stumbled in the door here, or maybe shortly after. Based on what I have read here, I would not spend the money again. I thought I needed a bunch of automation but what I really needed was a schedule and a way to control it remotely for when I am traveling (and I could really just use a schedule). It does a phenomenal job, I think. As Jim mentions, my pool doesn't get dirty enough to know if it covers every square inch. I'm not sure what the gyroscope actually gets me now that I have it.
I bought mine as a refurbished unit from a Maytronics reseller and saved about $300. I had issues with it which Maytronics replaced with a brand-new unit: I consider myself extra lucky because of that, but I still wouldn't do it again.
I'm generally not a victim of marketing, but I really think I was here.
I bought mine as a refurbished unit from a Maytronics reseller and saved about $300. I had issues with it which Maytronics replaced with a brand-new unit: I consider myself extra lucky because of that, but I still wouldn't do it again.
I'm generally not a victim of marketing, but I really think I was here.
With a large pool, I keep looking to the expensive models for their extended run times. With an extra hour or two, it has a better chance of covering most the pool.
I don't want to buy a robot for convenience and then have to go turn it on again every 2 hours because it left too much behind.
I don't want to buy a robot for convenience and then have to go turn it on again every 2 hours because it left too much behind.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,301
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
Automation mode solves this problem- schedule two runs, 1 right after the other.
- Jun 7, 2017
- 9,405
- Pool Size
- 29000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Jandy Aquapure 1400
My robot was $1500 and in 2 hours the pool is spotless. I've never used a cheaper robot so can't answer to that. 7 seasons with no major issues. I'd buy it again.
Katodude
Silver Supporter
- Aug 22, 2017
- 2,712
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I run my M500 on the long cycle which is 3.5 hrs. I really like that about this unit. In most cases the pool is completely clean well before the completion of the cycle.
I have a Blue Diamond, it’s about 20years old and I spent about $1200 for it. I use it about once a week in 18x36 pool. The only thing i needed to replace were the filter bags and the rollers once. Works pretty good in a random fashion. I would definitely buy again. It saves me a lot of time.
- Jun 1, 2018
- 14,301
- Pool Size
- 26000
- Surface
- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I bought the Dolphin M600 a couple of years ago for around $1500 or $1600. I probably used the fancy features less than a handful of times at first but have never used them since. The main reason for me getting this one was it had more suction than the models below it and I read some of the cheaper models could get stuck in the drains. While the M600 has been great if I were to buy a new one I would probably get the smaller lower priced model.
According to roboticreviews.com, the Nautilus CC Plus on average peforms like mine where they claim it will clean about 85% of the pool (60-70% of mine) and they claim the Sigma gets everything. After watching a video online, the Sigma seems to move in a more systematic fashion in parallel lines back and forth and up and down walls. The CC Plus hits a wall, climbs it a little bit, and then randomly falls off and goes it whatever direction it lands. I can actually see where the robot has been as after a monsoon storm or dust storm in Phoenix my pool will have a thin layer of dirt coating the bottom of the entire pool which goes away in stripes as the robot cleans. I think I will buy a refurbished Sigma as it has a 30 day trial period and test it out for myself and post the results.
midlifecrisis
Bronze Supporter
- Jan 3, 2023
- 330
- Pool Size
- 9500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Please do. I have zero complaints on mine. I can't tell if it is random or less random than others because it is the only unit I've ever owned so it hards to reference. I do know my pool is clean.
So I got a refurbished Sigma and as advertised, it cleaned the entire pool extremely well not leaving any uncleaned spots. The CC plus left a 5x5 foot area of dirt at the deepest part of the pool untouched after 7 cycles and was entirely gone within an hour of the Sigma's cycle. Pool is cleaner after 1 cycle with the Sigma than 7 with the CC Plus. So it looks like the Sigma is better suited to larger pools. I'm sure the CC plus works well for most people, but the software/gyroscope definitely made a difference for me.