This is a full review of the Maytronics Dolphin M600. Hopefully it will help you decide it the Maytronics Dolphin M600 is the right Robotic Pool Cleaner for you.
Warning: If you do not have an apple or android device you can not use this cleaner.
Update Sept 5th 2019
Maytronics issued an update to the M600 control unit to fix the showing of 100% complete all the time, and fix the finish time in the app.
New control unit version 3.60
To get the update:
Video is here
Edit July 15th 2019
Maytronics has contacted me saying they have seen my videos and is working on a fix for everything in the video as well as adding the features that were left out. When the update comes out I'' give it a test. It is good to hear they are actively working on fixing the issues.
Thormus from the forums here found a setting in the "settings menu" that allows you to program a 5 second hold of the play bitton on the control unit to result in the " pick me up finction" to be activated. The control unit has to be plugged in and connected to wifi/ Bluetooth for this option to be available.
This at least seems to work all the time. Use this method until they fix the app.
EDIT July 12th 2019
Now that I have had more time to use the app there are some issues that are definitely key to know when buying the M600 especially since pretty much all of the control is app based. If Maytronics fixes these issues I will update this post to say so. Video of the app issues is below as well as a video of the M600 handling stairs.
I will be making some comparisons to the Haward AuqaVac 650 as they are booth new on the market and the top of the line cleaners from each company, both being roughly at the same price point.
My review of the Haward AuqaVac 650 can be found here.
www.troublefreepool.com
Background
After purchasing the Hayward AquaVac 650 and finding out it would not collect the fine dirt and sand, as well s not clean the transition of the floor/ wall, I went out and purchased the Maytronics Dolphin M600. Maytronics Dolphin M600 has 2 motors so each side of tracks and brushes spin independently allowing this robot to turn on a dime. It has Bluetooth and Wifi connectability which connects to your home router. Though the app itself has some bugs they will hopefully work out soon with firmware upgrades it did a great job of cleaning the pool.
Full Video Review
A little shaky as it was recorded with my phone.
Unboxing
Pointless unless you are really wanting to see what is in the box and how it is packed.
Stairs video
M600 App Issues - Maytronics says they are working on fixes for everything in this video.
Review
The Maytronics Dolphin M600 comes with an easy to assemble caddy that holds the cleaner, control unit & chord. It is a little flimsy as the robot is rather heavy. The portion that holds the chord could be higher so the chord does not slip off when winding it up. I found it is best to wind the chord up by hand and then place it on the caddy.
Bluetooth/ Wifi Connect
In order to use the Maytronics Dolphin M600 you have to have access to an apple or android device. Without it you will not be able to set up your M600 for use.
When you first plug it in you will have to download the My Dolphin Plus App (not the old My dolphin app), turn on blue tooth and connect to the app via Bluetooth. You will set up an account in the app, once complete you will then be able to connect to your home wifi. All the steps are pretty self explanatory, the entire process should only take 5 or minutes.
Once initial set up is complete every time you plug in the cleaner it will first look for a Bluetooth connection (flashing blue n the control unit) and then search for a WiFi connection from your home router (flashing green on the control unit). It will automatically find your router and connect. It has a pretty good range. The control unit was roughly 100' away from my router and it was able to connect.
This is a much better way of connecting toy our phone than the AquaVac 650 where you have to open your settings, disconnect form your home wifi, connect to the 650, go abck into the app for use.
App
The App itself is pretty intuitive but I did have some issues with loosing connection (twice) and with it not displaying the proper information.
Ie. when you start a cleaning cycle it is supposed to show you the % progress and end time. Unfortunately it always showed 100% complete even if I just started a program. It also showed end time that was way off of as in 11hrs 45min off. I am told by the Maytronics customer support if you keep the app open but return to home screen and then go back to the app it should correct itself. I have not had a chance to try this. I hope it gets fixed properly soon.
Many times I would have to change screens and go back to the one I was using to get the updated information.
A cleaning history is advertised in their promo vids but it is not a part of the app. but I am told it will be implemented in the future.
The actual features of the app are nice with a timer, delay, and many different cleaning cycles such as 2 hrs default (walls, floor, water line) 1 hr quick floor, 2 hrs floor, water line only and "Ultra clean" which is also 2 hours but it says it cleans "extra carefully" what ever that means. There is a cleaning scheduler and light options as well.
Manual driving worked pretty good, not as instant as the AquaVac 650 but responsive enough to get it where you want it to go. It also cleans as it drives.
There is a customer support option right in the app and they responded the next day when I sent them a question.
Pick Me Up
This did work but it tool a lot of time as the robot had to be turned on and then go through it's diagnostics before it found a spot to climb the wall. It is still much faster to pull on the chord to bring it to you.
You can program in the settings menu a 5 second hold of the play button on the control unit to activate the pick me up function. Use this until the app is fixed.
Without the app
One Downfall of the M600 is the control unit has only one button - Play. I am told when pushed you get the default cleaning mode which is 2 hrs, floor, wall and water line. You have no access to any of the other features of the cleaner. They could have put a few buttons on the control unit so you could at least change the cleaning cycles without the app.
Full Canister Indicator
Canister full is also advertised but non existent and there are no plans to implement this in the future.
Cleaning
The M600 will filter 5,000 gallons/ hr.
The most important part of the robotic pool cleaner is the actual cleaning and the Dolphin M600 did a great job of cleaning the pool. The front scrubbers spin 2x faster than the tracks are going and with it's dual drive, and 4 jets it can get to any part of your pool and did not get stuck once.
I had the Ultra fine filters in so it picked up and collected all the fine dirt & sand. It cleaned the transition from the floor to the wall with ease. The AquaVac 650 had issues with both of these things which prompted me to return it.
There were 2 small spots it had missed but all cleaners seem to have a hard time getting the floor at the "L" part of the lazy L pool shape.
Waterline
It is the best water line cleaner I have seen this far. With the back and side jets it covers a large section of the water line in no time. Other cleaners will get to the water line, turn sideways a little and slowly move along. The M600 gets to the water line, turns on the side jet and covers ground like no other.
Basket
The basket is very large and held a lot of debris. large leaves, some twigs and all the fine sand was collected. Cleaning it a little time consuming, this is the only advantage the 650 has over the M600.
Conclusion
Positives:
Cons:
July 12th 2019 Update
There are some issues with the app and features of the M600 that should be noted. Hopefully they will be fixed in a patch soon.
1. App showing 100% complete and wrong end time when starting a cycle.
2. Pick me up function is slow to start (due to the 1min diagnostic) and sometimes does not work at all. The reality is that if it needs to run a 1min diagnostic just so it can come to the side of the pool and up the wall it is simply faster and easier to pull on the chord to save time. I expect this is what most users will end up doing.
3. App not responding to commands forcing user to reboot app.
4. When scrolling through the app, it often runs a diagnostic which takes roughly 1min. During this time you are not able to do anything with the app. This gets very frustrating as you may just want to open a tab to view a menu, or make a selection (not actually start clean clean the pool), sometimes you hit the wrong button and are forced to wait for the 1min diagnostic to complete before you can do anything else.
1 min may not seem like much but when this happens a few times in a row it does add up. Especially considering the app is the only way to control the M600, there are no functions on the control unit itself.
The reason for this is there are some selections in the app that unintentionally start the M600's clean cycle which triggers the diagnostic. The only time the M600 should start to clean is when you hit "start" to clean or if it is triggered by a pre programmed clean cycle. If this were the case all the app functions would be available instantly with no delays.
Warning: If you do not have an apple or android device you can not use this cleaner.
Update Sept 5th 2019
Maytronics issued an update to the M600 control unit to fix the showing of 100% complete all the time, and fix the finish time in the app.
New control unit version 3.60
To get the update:
- Plug in the M600
- Make sure it is connected to Wifi
- Run a cycle
- When the cycle is complete it will update teh control unit.
- The play button on the control unit will flash purple, blue etc. to show it is updating
- When complete you will see 3.60 for control unit version.
Video is here
Edit July 15th 2019
Maytronics has contacted me saying they have seen my videos and is working on a fix for everything in the video as well as adding the features that were left out. When the update comes out I'' give it a test. It is good to hear they are actively working on fixing the issues.
Thormus from the forums here found a setting in the "settings menu" that allows you to program a 5 second hold of the play bitton on the control unit to result in the " pick me up finction" to be activated. The control unit has to be plugged in and connected to wifi/ Bluetooth for this option to be available.
This at least seems to work all the time. Use this method until they fix the app.
EDIT July 12th 2019
Now that I have had more time to use the app there are some issues that are definitely key to know when buying the M600 especially since pretty much all of the control is app based. If Maytronics fixes these issues I will update this post to say so. Video of the app issues is below as well as a video of the M600 handling stairs.
I will be making some comparisons to the Haward AuqaVac 650 as they are booth new on the market and the top of the line cleaners from each company, both being roughly at the same price point.
My review of the Haward AuqaVac 650 can be found here.
Hayward AutoVac 650 Review - With video
Hello, This is my first review and I tried to make it as detailed and fair as possible along with supporting videos. There were things I really liked about the AquaVac 650 and some I did not. Hopefully it will give anyone looking for an AquaVac 650 a good indication if this is the right...
www.troublefreepool.com
Background
After purchasing the Hayward AquaVac 650 and finding out it would not collect the fine dirt and sand, as well s not clean the transition of the floor/ wall, I went out and purchased the Maytronics Dolphin M600. Maytronics Dolphin M600 has 2 motors so each side of tracks and brushes spin independently allowing this robot to turn on a dime. It has Bluetooth and Wifi connectability which connects to your home router. Though the app itself has some bugs they will hopefully work out soon with firmware upgrades it did a great job of cleaning the pool.
Full Video Review
A little shaky as it was recorded with my phone.
Unboxing
Pointless unless you are really wanting to see what is in the box and how it is packed.
Stairs video
M600 App Issues - Maytronics says they are working on fixes for everything in this video.
Review
The Maytronics Dolphin M600 comes with an easy to assemble caddy that holds the cleaner, control unit & chord. It is a little flimsy as the robot is rather heavy. The portion that holds the chord could be higher so the chord does not slip off when winding it up. I found it is best to wind the chord up by hand and then place it on the caddy.
Bluetooth/ Wifi Connect
In order to use the Maytronics Dolphin M600 you have to have access to an apple or android device. Without it you will not be able to set up your M600 for use.
When you first plug it in you will have to download the My Dolphin Plus App (not the old My dolphin app), turn on blue tooth and connect to the app via Bluetooth. You will set up an account in the app, once complete you will then be able to connect to your home wifi. All the steps are pretty self explanatory, the entire process should only take 5 or minutes.
Once initial set up is complete every time you plug in the cleaner it will first look for a Bluetooth connection (flashing blue n the control unit) and then search for a WiFi connection from your home router (flashing green on the control unit). It will automatically find your router and connect. It has a pretty good range. The control unit was roughly 100' away from my router and it was able to connect.
This is a much better way of connecting toy our phone than the AquaVac 650 where you have to open your settings, disconnect form your home wifi, connect to the 650, go abck into the app for use.
App
The App itself is pretty intuitive but I did have some issues with loosing connection (twice) and with it not displaying the proper information.
Ie. when you start a cleaning cycle it is supposed to show you the % progress and end time. Unfortunately it always showed 100% complete even if I just started a program. It also showed end time that was way off of as in 11hrs 45min off. I am told by the Maytronics customer support if you keep the app open but return to home screen and then go back to the app it should correct itself. I have not had a chance to try this. I hope it gets fixed properly soon.
Many times I would have to change screens and go back to the one I was using to get the updated information.
A cleaning history is advertised in their promo vids but it is not a part of the app. but I am told it will be implemented in the future.
The actual features of the app are nice with a timer, delay, and many different cleaning cycles such as 2 hrs default (walls, floor, water line) 1 hr quick floor, 2 hrs floor, water line only and "Ultra clean" which is also 2 hours but it says it cleans "extra carefully" what ever that means. There is a cleaning scheduler and light options as well.
Manual driving worked pretty good, not as instant as the AquaVac 650 but responsive enough to get it where you want it to go. It also cleans as it drives.
There is a customer support option right in the app and they responded the next day when I sent them a question.
Pick Me Up
This did work but it tool a lot of time as the robot had to be turned on and then go through it's diagnostics before it found a spot to climb the wall. It is still much faster to pull on the chord to bring it to you.
You can program in the settings menu a 5 second hold of the play button on the control unit to activate the pick me up function. Use this until the app is fixed.
Without the app
One Downfall of the M600 is the control unit has only one button - Play. I am told when pushed you get the default cleaning mode which is 2 hrs, floor, wall and water line. You have no access to any of the other features of the cleaner. They could have put a few buttons on the control unit so you could at least change the cleaning cycles without the app.
Full Canister Indicator
Canister full is also advertised but non existent and there are no plans to implement this in the future.
Cleaning
The M600 will filter 5,000 gallons/ hr.
The most important part of the robotic pool cleaner is the actual cleaning and the Dolphin M600 did a great job of cleaning the pool. The front scrubbers spin 2x faster than the tracks are going and with it's dual drive, and 4 jets it can get to any part of your pool and did not get stuck once.
I had the Ultra fine filters in so it picked up and collected all the fine dirt & sand. It cleaned the transition from the floor to the wall with ease. The AquaVac 650 had issues with both of these things which prompted me to return it.
There were 2 small spots it had missed but all cleaners seem to have a hard time getting the floor at the "L" part of the lazy L pool shape.
Waterline
It is the best water line cleaner I have seen this far. With the back and side jets it covers a large section of the water line in no time. Other cleaners will get to the water line, turn sideways a little and slowly move along. The M600 gets to the water line, turns on the side jet and covers ground like no other.
Basket
The basket is very large and held a lot of debris. large leaves, some twigs and all the fine sand was collected. Cleaning it a little time consuming, this is the only advantage the 650 has over the M600.
Conclusion
Positives:
- Cleans Great, picks up large and fine debris
- Gets to all areas of the pools and cleans transition form the floor to wall with ease.
- Did not get stuck on floor drains or stairs
- Large debris canister and ultra fine filters
- Swivel Chord
- Ease of Wifi connection - Connects to your home router/ network
- App has a lot of features and is easy to use
Cons:
- You need an apple or Android device to run this cleaner
- Control unit has only one button - only one cleaning mode available without the app
- App has some bugs that will hopefully be worked out
- Advertised features missing (cleaner history and canister full indicator)
- Return to me function needs improvement
July 12th 2019 Update
There are some issues with the app and features of the M600 that should be noted. Hopefully they will be fixed in a patch soon.
1. App showing 100% complete and wrong end time when starting a cycle.
2. Pick me up function is slow to start (due to the 1min diagnostic) and sometimes does not work at all. The reality is that if it needs to run a 1min diagnostic just so it can come to the side of the pool and up the wall it is simply faster and easier to pull on the chord to save time. I expect this is what most users will end up doing.
3. App not responding to commands forcing user to reboot app.
4. When scrolling through the app, it often runs a diagnostic which takes roughly 1min. During this time you are not able to do anything with the app. This gets very frustrating as you may just want to open a tab to view a menu, or make a selection (not actually start clean clean the pool), sometimes you hit the wrong button and are forced to wait for the 1min diagnostic to complete before you can do anything else.
1 min may not seem like much but when this happens a few times in a row it does add up. Especially considering the app is the only way to control the M600, there are no functions on the control unit itself.
The reason for this is there are some selections in the app that unintentionally start the M600's clean cycle which triggers the diagnostic. The only time the M600 should start to clean is when you hit "start" to clean or if it is triggered by a pre programmed clean cycle. If this were the case all the app functions would be available instantly with no delays.
Last edited:
