What robot meets this criteria?

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LisaDLu

Well-known member
Nov 14, 2014
149
Palm Desert, CA
Hello - Thinking strongly of going from my Hayward Navigator suction cleaner (which needs replacing) to a robot. I currently have to plug it into my skimmer valve which I do not mind at all but keep thinking my underground pipes could get clogged. That might be the problem now instead of my Navigator needing to be replaced but my husband is saying it is the unit and not a clog.

I am researching to try to find one that meets this criteria: *Light enough that I can take it in and out of the water easily. *Swivel cord. *Easy cleaning filter basket. *Can climb up the sides to the waterline. Big plus if it could also do stairs. *I want to keep it around $700.
All my wants seem to be a stretch for that price but what is the best. least expensive robot out there? Thanks in advance!
 
I just ditched my Pentair Kreepy Krawly suction cleaner for a Dolphin S300i. SO. MUCH. BETTER!

I now run my VS pump at a lot lower speed where I went from over 1kW energy usage on the pump to about 350W. The robot only uses 250W of power and I only run it a few times per week (so far three) so it's definitely paying off. It does a much better job than my suction cleaner. It has a top loading basket for easy cleaning. No swivel cord but, honestly, it doesn't need it. The cord never seems to get curled and I believe the robots nowadays are programmed to execute equivalent numbers of CW/CCW turns so as to to not tangle to cord. It's got some weight to it, but it's easy for me to pull in and out of the pool. Honestly, the swivel cords sound like a bad idea to me because that would make them much more prone to failure. That said, the cord type was not at all high on my list. The S300i has an integrated fines and coarse basket filter so you don't have to change filter types - the corse basket insert catches all the big stuff and the pleated fine filter takes out all the sand and silt. It has Bluetooth controls and lots of cycle option and cleaning modes (normal, high-speed, floor only, tile line, etc). It's also very impressive on the tile line as it really scrubs them well with a bit of a tilt to the robot to ensure the brushes hit the whole tile.

I'd look at the S line of dolphin or equivalent models.
 
The Dolphin Discovery would probably meet most of your criteria. They have one that is open box that appears to have full warranty at the price you are looking for as posted below. It has the basket and according to the description is supposed to be lightweight. There is a multiple page thread on the discovery here that could answer more questions if you are interested. It does not have a swivel though, but the cleaners usually will try to move in both directions so the cord shouldn't really get tangled.

The smartpool cleaner like I have will also meet most of your criteria for 600 dollars. It has a swivel and it is lightweight with a water release function as you pull it out of the water. It does not have a filter, but uses a bag with a frame at the top. It is very simple to clean. It works great but I hesitate to recommend it to most people as I really don't know how long they will last.

Both will climb the walls, but I've never had a cleaner that will do stairs very well if at all.

Doheny's Discovery Powered by Dolphin | Doheny's Pool Supplies Fast

Amazon.com : Smartpool NC74 Scrubber 60 Plus Robotic Pool Cleaner for IG Pools : Patio, Lawn Garden

LisaDLu said:
Hello - Thinking strongly of going from my Hayward Navigator suction cleaner (which needs replacing) to a robot. I currently have to plug it into my skimmer valve which I do not mind at all but keep thinking my underground pipes could get clogged. That might be the problem now instead of my Navigator needing to be replaced but my husband is saying it is the unit and not a clog.

I am researching to try to find one that meets this criteria: *Light enough that I can take it in and out of the water easily. *Swivel cord. *Easy cleaning filter basket. *Can climb up the sides to the waterline. Big plus if it could also do stairs. *I want to keep it around $700.
All my wants seem to be a stretch for that price but what is the best. least expensive robot out there? Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
 
Sorry to be one more that rains on your stairs request, but not even the best do much with stairs. Still have to brush them if you want them clean, but its no big deal once you see how well a robot really cleans the rest. Small potatoes.
 
Patrick_B said:
Sorry to be one more that rains on your stairs request, but not even the best do much with stairs. Still have to brush them if you want them clean, but its no big deal once you see how well a robot really cleans the rest. Small potatoes.
Click to expand...

This.

My tigershark qc will do all but top step, which is a safety feature. Most will do this due to possible running outside of pool cutoff (beach entry).

But still best to brush down first. Takes seconds.
 

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