We have a booster and polaris 280...we've struggled with getting the walls clean...looking to switch to robotic and we want something good for leaves abs climbing walls...we're willing to spend the money to get a good robot...but would like you're feedback on which ones toy love...we're leaning towards the top of the line dolphin right now since we want to program it. Thanks in advance...
Ready to make the switch to robots....which one is best for climbing walls
- Thread starter mrswhitsie
- Start date
You will get a lot of replies about robots, but in my opinion there are none that I think do a sufficient job for your walls. They randomly climb and scrub, but you will continue to have to brush them. I know of no robot that will get every square inch of the wall and waterline.
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- May 23, 2015
- 24,492
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I'm keeping an eye on this thread :cyclopsani: as I am just about done with my suction side cleaner. Dolphin is definitely top of the list but a big problem for me is that there is literally only ONE dealer here in Tucson that is certified to sell and repair Dolphin robots. Not being anywhere near a service center makes me very nervous about investing such a huge sum of money in one. Plus, I want to get the best warranty possible...
I'll tell you this, I've used a bunch of robots. You aren't going to be leaving it in the pool doing its thing if you have leaves. If you don't and you have a screen, then frankly you don't need a robot. I have leaves, lots of leaves, not by choice, the trees are right off my property and literally every day leaves come in. You will need to clean the filter basket everytime so programming is really a waste. As for climbing walls, I don't know about anyone else, but the only time I really have had to worry about my walls is if I have an algae bloom, otherwise I never really have to do anything with the walls. However for wall climbing, any of the robots with handles generally do a decent job cleaning the walls and wall line. Avoid without handles if you want a thorough job of that. For instance, there are dolphins that claim to climb the walls without handles, but what they really do is walk up the wall and kind of turn and drive down the wall.
The Doheny discovery for 650 should do a decent job for you and I believe with the huge slit at the bottom it will effectively pick up leaves. I personally wouldn't spend much more than that as they all seem to break. They all use pretty much the same parts and you are paying extra typically for added features that most people really don't need. An extra year of warranty might be worth it if you can find one with a 3 year warranty depending on the difference in cost.
I debated between the Dohney Discovery and the smartpool nc74s which I ultimately bought and you can see my mini review. I ultimately chose it because it has a swivel and dual drive motors so it can turn easily. Unlike my old dolphin it actually picks up the big leaves and the pieces of palm fronds which none of the other cleaners will do. Parts are also relatively inexpensive if you need them after warranty. What kind of killed the dolphin for me is the cost of a replacment motor is 500 dollars.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,492
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
The Discovery isn't a whole lot more than a new suction cleaner (The Pool Cleaner). I am very happy with my robot and when it dies I'll replace it with another robot without question. I've gotten pretty spoiled by having a pool without a cleaner in it 24/7 too...the cleaners have never been an attractive look to me.
I agree that most features on the high end units go unused. I have the remote for mine but I never use it and don't see a need for it.
If the expense is a big concern, I would just manually vacuum as needed before I considered a suction cleaner. Its always surprising how effective vacuuming is and how little time it really takes.
I agree that most features on the high end units go unused. I have the remote for mine but I never use it and don't see a need for it.
If the expense is a big concern, I would just manually vacuum as needed before I considered a suction cleaner. Its always surprising how effective vacuuming is and how little time it really takes.
Honestly if you have the money, the dolphin oasis Z5 is probably the best bet, dual drive and 3 year warranty. Can't really beat that. Will clean walls well too.
I had a Pentair pressure cleaner for years and got tired of messing with it. I got the Doheny Discovery last year and love it. It is WAY better than the pressure cleaner. It stays in the pool in spring, fall and winter. Sometimes I have to empty daily and throw it back in. We have LOTS of leaves. There are leaf pics in my thread, link in sig and there is a lot more here, First Robotic Cleaner, Doheny's Discovery
DITTO... i've never regretted buying this cleaner, and I certainly do not miss my pressure side cleaner. This Does a much better job.
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So it's okay to leave the robot cleaner in the pool? Do you leave it plugged in too? I was thinking about getting a robot but wanted to keep it in the pool unless I'm swimming like I do my Polaris 360.
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It is not recommended, but if you take it out, you have to make sure its not going to be somwhere thats in direct sunlight or likely in extreme cold either. I've had much better luck leaving the robots in the pool all the time.
Yes, it stays in and is plugged in. The Doheny's Discovery has a weekly programming option where it can be programmed to run daily, 3 times or 4 times per week. It shuts down after a week.
Really like my Polaris 9550 Sport. It climbs and cleans walls very well. It, like others can not clean above the water line, so I will brush my built in loungers, table and top 2 steps off before I start. I eventually need to clean the scum ring around the top water line occasionally by hand, which is easy for me as I have fiberglass and use a scrub sponge. So while a robot today is 100% effective it saves me hours of pool cleaning a week.
I like mine in that it has 3 large removable/washable filter options. It comes with a general usage one. I own the option sand/fine dirt one, as there was a lot of red clay in pool once it was completed, and this cleaned it well, and I still get grit from peoples feet. It also has an optional leaf filter too.
The thing I like most about a robot - I can go drop it in and run it while doing other stuff, so great if we invite some people over in a couple of hours. Let it run while we set up other stuff.
I like mine in that it has 3 large removable/washable filter options. It comes with a general usage one. I own the option sand/fine dirt one, as there was a lot of red clay in pool once it was completed, and this cleaned it well, and I still get grit from peoples feet. It also has an optional leaf filter too.
The thing I like most about a robot - I can go drop it in and run it while doing other stuff, so great if we invite some people over in a couple of hours. Let it run while we set up other stuff.
Hey everyone!! I can't thank you enough for all your replies...we're going to go look at the models mentioned here to compare prices and I'll report back with lowest price on each so everyone can benefit from a recent price search...be back soon.
I was curious what you meant by handles? Are you talking about the handles at the top used to get the robot in and out of water. We are looking into wall cleaning specifically because we have black algae that likes to rear its head once or twice a season on the wall and the wall cleaning is pretty important to us. I wasn't sure how the handle might help or hinder wall cleaning but I want to learn more. There are some robots that say "wall cleaner" and I wonder if they are better for the walls. We also have oak leaves so I do need to keep that in mind. Because of a weird setup we don't have the option of vacuuming right now. I'm not actually certain its possible so we've always needed to have a cleaner that can scoop up leaves.
look at the pictures for the blue diamond pool cleaner. Robots with handles at the top like that typically clean the walls the best.
My 9550 has a handle (see below) which is on the front. This is because it climbs the wall when you are done cleaning (you can pick which) and when at the water line, you use the front handle to lift it out of pool. There is no need for the handle to be on the top of the unit. The 9550 climbs walls by use of its wheels and through the use of a rear water propulsion (see 2nd picture). The first picture shows the cleaning paddles which actually clean the walls and direct leaves, dirt, ... into the basket.
That's simply wrong. I have the S300 (same general family as the Discovery), it has no handle but it has a thruster system that diverts some of the water from the intake to provide pressure against the wall. It actively scrubs all the way up to and above the waterline (front roller is fully exposed) and then it thrusts sideways for a bit before it walks itself down again. It does a better job than my Dolphin DIagnostic which had a flotation handle.
Check out the video as it nears the 1:00 mark:
Dolphin S series S300 - YouTube