Best Cleaner for 750ish

[BPSuperstore]

Just as a FYI from someone in the industry, for those that might be browsing this thread. Pentair had Dolphin manufacturer the 800 series of robotic cleaners for them as their previous 700 series was to say the least horrible. They are very expensive compared to the similar Dolphin branded cleaners and the warranty is less. However it is the same very good Dolphin quality that everyone is used to.

 

[tcat]

"Very good quality" and "least horrible"... how about suggesting "the best for the money?

 

[BPSuperstore]

Horrible was meant as a description of the old 700 series Prowlers that were not manufactured by Dolphin.

 

[stslimited84]

Also looking at the Pentair 820. It does seem to be "the same" cleaner as Dolphin Nautilus, which also has some good reviews. The main problems I've read is wall climbing. I take it these are not meant for waterline cleaning (not that mine really needs it). I see the Nautilus for $625 at Backyard PS, a couple bucks less than the Pentair after $100 rebate. I don't suppose the rebate is a generic "Maytronics" one that would be good for the Dolphin product. Both only have a 1 year warranty which isn't the greatest for this price range.

How "big" are the cartridges on these? The space in the little triangle seems very narrow (maybe 5 leaves?). I'm thinking I can do spring cleaning with my old Platinum Legend, then use a robot the rest of the summer (not many leaves after the spring oak drop). This bot looks to be a contender to the Aquabot XLS or 4WD.

Being as this is my first robot I'm not experienced with other's ability to water line clean. I can say the 820 climbs the walls and surfaces occasionally but cannot give you a good comparison to another model per se.

The cartridge seems to hold a good amount of debris and its much easier to clean than the bag on the polaris 360 i had. Keeps the debris contained within itself well too.

 

[tcat]

I wish manufacturers would keep up their web sites! Look at the Maytronics info below on the Nautilus, (notice how it "switches" to info about the Orion... 18.75#), where I found the "real" weight of 45# elsewhere. The best price is on Ebay (through Backyard Pool store), but I think I'm leaning towards the Aquabot XLS or 4WD because of weight.

Dolphin Nautilus
Cleans pool floor, cove and walls
Recommended for in-ground residential pools up to 50 ft. in length

The Dolphin Nautilus is lightweight and easy-to-use, with exceptional performance at an affordable price.

Dolphin Features:
Scrubs, vacuums and filters all pool surfaces in just 3 hours.
Easy-to-clean cartridge filter with spring clean up filter included!
Patented swivel cable helps prevent tangling
Incredibly efficient - costs less than 15 cents to clean the pool.
Plug-n-play! No pre-installation needed, no connections to pool system.
Self-programmed for optimal pool scanning.
12 month warranty - spare parts and labor.

Orion Specifications:
Cycle time: 3 hours
Cable length: 60 ft.
Filter: Fine porosity
Suction rate: 4,233 gal (USA) per hour
Unit weight: 18.75 lbs.

 

[jobondur]

sorry to post so late. see my thread on estimated pool cleaner cost but to summarize, I think it's
cost per year = cost of unit/warranty period (years)

If this formula is even close to correct, the one year warranty for the 820 makes it a risky purchase. Hope it works out for you. also, if you search this forum for dolphin supreme, you'll see some comparisons to the supreme m4. I think someone surmised the unit might be made by maytronics.

luck!

If you look at the Pentair warranty card more closely you will see that Kreepy Krauly robotic cleaners (which this is) have a 2 year warranty.

 

[Dssmaster]

Update Day 2:

The pool bottom is about 70% clear of debris now. It climbs walls fairly wall and occasionally surfaces intriguing our pup, lol.

It has a cartridge filter as opposed to a bag which I find to be much easier to clean. It came with two styles of cartridges. One for more coarse items, such as during opening like leaves etc. and also a fine cartridge filter for every day use when the pool is open for normal operation.

The 820 is performing very well and I'm happy with it up to this point.

Hello, I'm considering buying one of these robotic cleaners, and wanted to know as to how is your performing to date. Anyone else in here have one of those Kreepy Krauly Prowler 820 Robotic Automatic Pool Cleaners that can tell me abut their performance. Thanks in advance...

 

[ChrisW]

Just picked up the Pentair Krauly 820 for $734.99 plus the $100 rebate.

Hopefully this is a good product and lasts a long time

will update with a review

Curious of your thoughts on the Prowler 820 now that it has been a while since you put into use? Reliable unit? Get the job done? Any major maintenance or repairs needed on the unit? I am looking for a robotic cleaner after six years of suction side cleaner. Any thoughts you have on your experience are appreciated.

- - - Updated - - -

Hello, I'm considering buying one of these robotic cleaners, and wanted to know as to how is your performing to date. Anyone else in here have one of those Kreepy Krauly Prowler 820 Robotic Automatic Pool Cleaners that can tell me abut their performance. Thanks in advance...

Dssmaster - what did you end up going with? your personal review/thoughts? I am now in the same boat as you back in 2014, looking at a robotic cleaner.

- - - Updated - - -

I have a Prowler 820 made by Pentair and absolutely love it! Although I have nothing to compare it too though so I don't know if there are better ones out there or not. All I know is I drop it in when I wake up in the AM and plug it in, and by the time we are ready to swim, the pool is spotless. The unit is very easy to clean too.

Amazon has for $910 right now, and you might be able to shop around and get it cheaper.

ssummer: Curious of your thoughts on the Prowler 820 now that it has been a while since you put into use? Reliable unit? Get the job done? Any major maintenance or repairs needed on the unit? I am looking for a robotic cleaner after six years of suction side cleaner. Any thoughts you have on your experience are appreciated.

 

[kingadriann]

any recent updates on the Pentair Prowler 820?

Many thanks.

 

[tcat]

My aquabot 4wd still going strong after 3 years. Just made a run to catch what slips around the edges of the solar cover.

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[tcat]

First run of the new year, never thought these baskets could get this full!

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