Which Dolphin? My head is spinning

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T

Tboogaard

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Jun 1, 2017
5
Lovettsville, VA
Hi everyone so I have spent the last couple weeks reading all the post on TFP about robots. I have narrow it down but am still so confused. I am interested in the Z5, Active 20/30, M500. I have a fiberglass pool rectangular with two have moons (steps one side bench on the other). It is a salt water pool as well. I have a caddy from my old dolphin. Price is important but getting the better clean for us is priority. I prefer a top loading cleaner, remote would be nice but not a deal breaker. I guess I am seeing in spending more is justifiable. Thank you for your help, I would like to purchase one in the next day or two tops.
 
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I don't know the warranty. Opens on the bottom. 4 filters catch everything. Hose it down and ready to go again.
I went with Dolphin because they are most often recommended. Nautilus is decent price and supposedly has lots of features for the money.
I also hear that anything with bags is not the way to go.
 
I'm in the same boat. I've settled on the A30i/S300i. The Active and S series are the same from what I've read. I was set on the M500 but 2 things pushed me away from it. We have benches in the deep end and a 9'x4' ledge (18" deep) in the shallow end. The M series needs deeper water due to the arms. If the arms drop while the robot is level it will back up. All robots will have trouble w/ steps and ledges but I hope the A30i/S300i with its lower profile will have a better shot. Also the A30i/S300i weighs a lot less than the M400/M500 (16 vs 24 lbs). I think I'll have better luck getting other members of the family to do robot duty with the lighter robot.

That being said the M400/M500 have a larger pump so they will filter more water. They also have 3 brushes instead of 2 which translates into more cleaning power. They also have a 3 year vs a 2 year warranty. But they cost more. As others have said, if you have a local dealer see if they will let you demo one or both to see if they'll work for you. I'm in the middle of my build and want to take advantage of the rebate so will have to buy on faith.
 
grywlfbg said:
I'm in the same boat. I've settled on the A30i/S300i. The Active and S series are the same from what I've read. I was set on the M500 but 2 things pushed me away from it. We have benches in the deep end and a 9'x4' ledge (18" deep) in the shallow end. The M series needs deeper water due to the arms. If the arms drop while the robot is level it will back up. All robots will have trouble w/ steps and ledges but I hope the A30i/S300i with its lower profile will have a better shot. Also the A30i/S300i weighs a lot less than the M400/M500 (16 vs 24 lbs). I think I'll have better luck getting other members of the family to do robot duty with the lighter robot.

That being said the M400/M500 have a larger pump so they will filter more water. They also have 3 brushes instead of 2 which translates into more cleaning power. They also have a 3 year vs a 2 year warranty. But they cost more. As others have said, if you have a local dealer see if they will let you demo one or both to see if they'll work for you. I'm in the middle of my build and want to take advantage of the rebate so will have to buy on faith.
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Thanks
 

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I purchased the A30i from Marina Pool & Spa and have had it about a week. I am super happy with the results of how it works in my pool!:D I think, other than when a dust storm rolls in, once or twice a week is all it will need to run. Good Luck!
 
My Doheny's Discovery/S200 doesn't get stuck on the drain covers. I witnessed my brother's S200/Active20 get stuck on a main drain when it hit dead center one time. But, that was after dozens of runs. I expect that it is able to remove itself from the drain the same way it turns, by doing a little dance.
 
I recently replaced my old faithful, 13 year old Maytronics Dolphin Dynamic. After much thought, I purchased a Dolphin DX6 from Sunplay. I chose it because, after using a bottom bag cleaner for over a decade, I was a little apprehensive about getting a cartridge or basket type model. The DX6 allows me to use either a bag or cartridge. I have been using both but still haven't decided which I prefer. Each method has its pros and cons. The DX6 is a bottom loader but I'm used to that. The top loading basket models are very intriguing but I just wasn't ready to make the jump to that type having used the Dynamic for so long. I would recommend whichever model you choose, go with one from a Maytronics premium line. You've had a robot before, so you probably have a system but I would recommend that you avoid the temptation to leave the thing in the pool. Take it out, rinse and store out of the sun.
 
Az_Ash said:
The DX6 is a bottom loader but I'm used to that. The top loading basket models are very intriguing but I just wasn't ready to make the jump to that type having used the Dynamic for so long.
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I'm puzzled why you would have any apprehension about moving to a more convenient system? The best thing about getting the S300 for me was not having to deal with bags any more. The basket is the best innovation in years.
 
Geebot said:
I'm puzzled why you would have any apprehension about moving to a more convenient system? The best thing about getting the S300 for me was not having to deal with bags any more. The basket is the best innovation in years.
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I was very happy with my Dynamic. It served me exceptionally well for 13 years... and my pool is open 12 months a year in Arizona. If I could have replaced it with the same model, I would have.

Each system... bag, cartridge or basket... has its own pluses and minuses. I chose to go with a model that offered the system that I knew well while offering something different as an option. I've been using the cartridge filters lately but I may go back to the bag.

I'm glad you like the basket. It looks like it would work well. Wish I could have tried one but I had to make a choice without a demo.
 
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