Aiper Scuba S1 Review

[Orion7319]

It appears that all the battery operated pool robots have the same issue. They are just not powerful enough to have an ultra fine filter without degrading their performance or price point.
Perhaps, as these robots evolve, they will build an extra powerful one that can still perform well with an ultra fine filter, but probably be significantly heavier.

Or... the battery technology may still improve, but it seems like it might be a few years.

The S1 pro has an ultra fine filter. It’s a lot bigger and twice the cost though. Also most people here don’t seem happy with it.

 

[HermanTX]

So is the Scuba S1 a good bot?

I have the standard S1. It works great in my sports pool design. The existing filter mesh is fine. It picks up and holds all the dirt in my pool, It even did a great job with holding fine particles after the Hurricane that recently came through my location.

 

[Brant]

Does anyone have first hand experience with the S1 compared to other bots? Beatbot is expensive but I wonder how it compares. I'd rather buy once/cry once.

 

[Orion7319]

I have the standard S1. It works great in my sports pool design. The existing filter mesh is fine. It picks up and holds all the dirt in my pool, It even did a great job with holding fine particles after the Hurricane that recently came through my location.

I think the geology of the area is important to consider. Sandy soils, don’t need an ultra fine filter, areas with clay do. Also wondering how these will do next spring with pollen. Hopefully I get my dolphin running again so I can use it when I have need of the ultra fine filers. This thing is so convenient for an every day cleaner though.

 

[Orion7319]

Does anyone have first hand experience with the S1 compared to other bots? Beatbot is expensive but I wonder how it compares. I'd rather buy once/cry once.

I would imagine the beatbot is a lot better. I think it’s around 3 times the price though. No pool cleaner is perfect though, that doesn’t exist. You have to weigh all the pros and cons of all of them. It’s why I’m OK with this one not being perfect. As long as I can get my old one running again, I’ll have a very serviceable system between the two and my two betta skimmer bots.

EDIT: I was referring to the beatbot pro.

 

[piezon]

Just as I was typing out that it appeared the latest update was also a failure something happened...

After I observed the bot going back and forth in the usual spot where it gets stuck on the incline I noticed something...

After traversing the same path several times, the bot has not been programmed to recognize that it is not advancing. A quarter of the way across its path it stopped and spun 90 degrees facing up the slope. After doing so the bot traveled about 24" up and over the top of the transition, then stopped. It then spun 90 the other way and continued on it N pattern side-to-side cleaning cycle.

Dare I say Aiper seems to have listened and solved the issue. Granted it left a stretch that did not get cleaned but I'd venture to guess it will get that area when it does it's N cleaning cycle length-wise.

I ran the bot in floor only mode, I still want to test in Eco mode which theoretically should yield the same result.

Exactly what issue is the update correcting?

 

[Orion7319]

Does anyone have first hand experience with the S1 compared to other bots? Beatbot is expensive but I wonder how it compares. I'd rather buy once/cry once.

This video should be useful to you.

 

[Orion7319]

Exactly what issue is the update correcting?

It was having issues making it out of the deep end in some pools. It would slide down and clean the same spots over and over. Usually vinyl pools with a very steep incline. Mine has never had issues, but I have only had it a few days and updated the firmware before I ever used it.

 

[cssnms]

Exactly what issue is the update correcting?

The issue described over the last several pages - getting up the incline so it can clean the shallow end while running side to side in the N pattern.

 

[piezon]

The issue described over the last several pages - getting up the incline so it can clean the shallow end while running side to side in the N pattern.

Thanks. I’ve had no problems with that since I did the first update a month or so ago. 20x40 vinyl liner with a huge hopper in the deep end and an incline that goes from 3.5’ to 8.5’. My issue is it can’t clean the walls in the deep end.

 

[Brant]

This video should be useful to you.

I did see this video. I was disappointed that it didn't compare the beat bot pro also. It would be nice to know if the extra money actually gets you better performance.

The video is great. Quality comparison with legit data. Too bad beat bot spent so much on advertising. It makes me actually leary of their products. I was surprised how poorly their basic model performed and it gave me pause on the pro. I figured there might not be much difference between the models except for skimming. If that's the case and the pro works about as well as the basic model, they are not good and extremely over priced.

The other thing I'd like to see is if any of these bots will clean a sun shelf with shallow water.

 

[Katodude]

I am looking at this a different way. Its not about one being better than another, its about how long they will last. I used a beatbot for a while (not the pro). It is marginally better than the S1. I think the brushes on it are better. The filter actually holds less. The charging stand is nice.

However, I am treating this bot like a consumable. I believe it will not last more than 3 or 4 years. So I buy the cheapest on that will work. Which for me is the S1. If it breaks in the first two years, it’s under warranty. If it breaks in year 3 the credit card will cover it. If it breaks in year 4, well I got 4 years out of it and there will be a new model that I can buy. At around $500 that is acceptable to me. At a $1000 or more then I will get upset.

 

[Orion7319]

I did see this video. I was disappointed that it didn't compare the beat bot pro also. It would be nice to know if the extra money actually gets you better performance.

The video is great. Quality comparison with legit data. Too bad beat bot spent so much on advertising. It makes me actually leary of their products. I was surprised how poorly their basic model performed and it gave me pause on the pro. I figured there might not be much difference between the models except for skimming. If that's the case and the pro works about as well as the basic model, they are not good and extremely over priced.

The other thing I'd like to see is if any of these bots will clean a sun shelf with shallow water.

I’m with Katodude on this one. My take away is that these battery powered bots aren’t quite ready for prime time. My corded Dolphin Nautilus CC plus was working fine for me until it broke down after 5 years of use. Hopefully when I replace the cord after Amazon delivers it today it will be back up and running. The point of these to me is to have a bot that can clean everyday without the inconvenience that corded bots provide. I don’t expect nearly the same performance out of any of them that you get with any corded bots. These to me are light duty cleaners that are way more convenient to use day in and day out, unless I have a big mess to clean up, or a ton of fine dirt or pollen. I mean most days my 12v cordless drill works fine. However when I need a hammer drill to drill a huge hole into concrete, no way I’m using that thing, the corded behemoth power drill is the appropriate tool for those kinds of jobs. I’m cool with this reality, these things are tools, best to have a variety at your disposal.

 

[Brant]

I am looking at this a different way. Its not about one being better than another, its about how long they will last. I used a beatbot for a while (not the pro). It is marginally better than the S1. I think the brushes on it are better. The filter actually holds less. The charging stand is nice.

However, I am treating this bot like a consumable. I believe it will not last more than 3 or 4 years. So I buy the cheapest on that will work. Which for me is the S1. If it breaks in the first two years, it’s under warranty. If it breaks in year 3 the credit card will cover it. If it breaks in year 4, well I got 4 years out of it and there will be a new model that I can buy. At around $500 that is acceptable to me. At a $1000 or more then I will get upset.

How do you get your credit card to cover warranty in year 3?

 

[Brant]

I’m with Katodude on this one. My take away is that these battery powered bots aren’t quite ready for prime time. My corded Dolphin Nautilus CC plus was working fine for me until it broke down after 5 years of use. Hopefully when I replace the cord after Amazon delivers it today it will be back up and running. The point of these to me is to have a bot that can clean everyday without the inconvenience that corded bots provide. I don’t expect nearly the same performance out of any of them that you get with any corded bots. These to me are light duty cleaners that are way more convenient to use day in and day out, unless I have a big mess to clean up, or a ton of fine dirt or pollen. I mean most days my 12v cordless drill works fine. However when I need a hammer drill to drill a huge hole into concrete, no way I’m using that thing, the corded behemoth power drill is the appropriate tool for those kinds of jobs. I’m cool with this reality, these things are tools, best to have a variety at your disposal.

If you were in the market to buy a robot and didn't already have one and was planning to use it as your primary everyday/every-other-day cleaner, what would you purchase? Cord or cordless? Specific brand or model?

 

[Orion7319]

If you were in the market to buy a robot and didn't already have one and was planning to use it as your primary everyday/every-other-day cleaner, what would you purchase? Cord or cordless? Specific brand or model?

Corded if I had to choose only one today. If you’re considering a beatbot pro though, you might want to consider the S1 and whatever corded bot for under $1000.00 that would best suit your needs. If I didn’t have a robot it’s what I would do… what I still might end up having to do if I can’t get my corded dolphin working again.

 

[marcrey]

How do you get your credit card to cover warranty in year 3?

Purchase with a card that has an extended warranty benefit. Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Southwest card, and others.

Benefit Overview​

Extends the time period of the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.

 

[HermanTX]

If you were in the market to buy a robot and didn't already have one and was planning to use it as your primary everyday/every-other-day cleaner, what would you purchase? Cord or cordless? Specific brand or model?

I would go with cordless. Which is exactly what I did after following multiple threads on this site. I had a pressure side cleaner which has a hose. Trading that for a cord did not create any real benefit - both can get tangled over time. Both (hose or cord) wear out over time.
I selected the S1 (standard) because it was inexpensive and had good performance. I have found it to be very effective for my pool.

 

[Orion7319]

I got my old Dolphin nautilus cc plus working again and ran it last night. It gets the pool so much cleaner than the Aiper. It completely removed the powdered clay (suit) and it hasn’t settled out on to the floor of the pool again. Granted I have a sand filter, live in an area with red clay and get a ton of pine needles in my pool, so use case will vary widely. And that’s the entire point. Can folks use the S1 as their only cleaner, absolutely, depends on their specific needs. If you have a DE filter or cartridge filter it’s probably all anyone needs. However side by side in terms of actual cleaning ability it’s not even a close comparison. A corded bot with pleated filters is a way better cleaner. In my case though by adding the Aiper to the mix, I don’t need to run the dolphin multiple times a week anymore. It’s a lot more convenient, a lot easier to deal with, I can run it without taking the bettas out of the pool and it will significantly reduce the wear and tear on my Dolphin. Also when shopping around for a robot, consider that if one bought a S1 and something like the Dolphin nautilus cc plus, that’s still around the same price point of a beatbot pro. I have no experience with the beatbot pro though and if one were looking at “perfection” in a single unit, I would probably look there first. Peoples needs though are going to vary by the specific conditions of their pool and all of that has to be factored in when considering a purchase. There will never be a perfect robot, just ones that will work better for a specific set of variables then others. That’s my take away from this. Only you can pick your best bot…. In regards to the S1, for the price it’s a great deal. If you get only two or 3 seasons out of it, it’s still a great deal.

Edit: This thing just keeps going and going. Getting way more time out of it per charge then the three they advertise. Thew it in around 7:30AM it’s about 12:15PM now. Also like that I can float around in the pool with it running around.

 

[piezon]

I got my old Dolphin nautilus cc plus working again and ran it last night. It gets the pool so much cleaner than the Aiper. It completely removed the powdered clay (suit) and it hasn’t settled out on to the floor of the pool again. Granted I have a sand filter, live in an area with red clay and get a ton of pine needles in my pool, so use case will vary widely. And that’s the entire point. Can folks use the S1 as their only cleaner, absolutely, depends on their specific needs. If you have a DE filter or cartridge filter it’s probably all anyone needs. However side by side in terms of actual cleaning ability it’s not even a close comparison. A corded bot with pleated filters is a way better cleaner. In my case though by adding the Aiper to the mix, I don’t need to run the dolphin multiple times a week anymore. It’s a lot more convenient, a lot easier to deal with, I can run it without taking the bettas out of the pool and it will significantly reduce the wear and tear on my Dolphin. Also when shopping around for a robot, consider that if one bought a S1 and something like the Dolphin nautilus cc plus, that’s still around the same price point of a beatbot pro. I have no experience with the beatbot pro though and if one were looking at “perfection” in a single unit, I would probably look there first. Peoples needs though are going to vary by the specific conditions of their pool and all of that has to be factored in when considering a purchase. There will never be a perfect robot, just ones that will work better for a specific set of variables then others. That’s my take away from this. Only you can pick your best bot…. In regards to the S1, for the price it’s a great deal. If you get only two or 3 seasons out of it, it’s still a great deal.

Edit: This thing just keeps going and going. Getting way more time out of it per charge then the three they advertise. Thew it in around 7:30AM it’s about 12:15PM now. Also like that I can float around in the pool with it running around. View attachment 595657

Wow.the most I got was 3:15 but lately it’s not getting to the 3 hour mark. When charging, do you,leave it plugged in all night? I unplug it once the blue light stops blinking. Perhaps leaving it plugged in might result in it getting “topped off?”