Dolphin/Maytronics recommendation

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H

hagani

0
Jul 17, 2018
37
Robbinsville, NJ
Can someone recommend a cleaner from personal experience out of Dolphin line-up?

Can't decide between Quantum and Nautilus CC Plus

Or maybe you would recommend another model that you have a good relationship with.. :)

One think I would like to have an option to operate it manually

Thanks in advance.
 
H,

I can't think of a single reason to operate the Robot manually, so I got the S200... The 300i has more options.

If I have one dime-sized leaf in my pool, and drop the cleaner in and then come back in two hours,... the leaf will be gone.. every time..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Jimrahbe said:
H,

I can't think of a single reason to operate the Robot manually, so I got the S200... The 300i has more options.

If I have one dime-sized leaf in my pool, and drop the cleaner in and then come back in two hours,... the leaf will be gone.. every time..

Thanks,

Jim R.
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Thank you Jim.
I never had a robot vacuum and not sure how it will do the steps and ledges some of them are narrow or variable width. That's why I want the manual option.
 
I find it's best to just sweep the steps and then let the robot clean the floor. Although it can climb the steps it's never going to get the stuff that's not directly on the edge of the step.
 
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hagani said:
Thank you guys, I really appreciate your input.

As far as the model of the cleaner - what would you recommend?
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I have the CC Plus. Really like it. I've had it for a year. Not a single quality problem. No maintenance or replacement parts needed so far...not even the filters. And as Jimrahbe said, it pretty much gets everything. I use a SolarBreeze NX surface robot to minimize the amount of debris that gets to the pool bottom, but the CC Plus takes care of the rest. Just walk outside once a week, push the start button, select the cleaning frequency, and that's it. Clean the filters once a week. My only cons are that the wide brushes rotate at the same speed as the treads, so there is no real scrubbing action...they're just like additional treads. I am considering upgrading to the T55i as the brush rotates at 2X the tread speed, so it will actually scrub the walls a little. The material used for the brushes is a very soft material, so not sure how much scrubbing will really happen.
 
I have the Dolphin Nautilus Plus and have had no complaints. I even had a bungee cord come loose from a float that the Nautilus ate up freezing its motor. I sent it in for repairs and within a week, it was up and cleaning again like a pro. Just stick it in the pool, turn it on, get a beer, wait two hours, and take it out. Super clean pool! It is that hard. Yes, I left the part out about spraying the filters with water to clean them, but that is a breeze too.

You will love your new robot.
 
The only reason I might upgrade on the s-series is to get a longer runtime option or floor only. Our pool could use the extra time because of the size. Floor only would get the floor cleaned quicker. So I can remove it, rinse out the filters before bed. Hitting the button a second time is obviously not difficult, but often I forget or am in the middle of something and don’t want to run down to the pool. It’s not right outside the back door. Which reminds me, I need to go drop him in now that the storm has passed. No need to subject him to lightning if not necessary. Electricity did go out for a few minutes.


Have you checked pricing versus Marina Pool & Spa? You need to call them to order. They are very competitive.
 
bmoreswim said:
The only reason I might upgrade on the s-series is to get a longer runtime option or floor only. Our pool could use the extra time because of the size. Floor only would get the floor cleaned quicker. So I can remove it, rinse out the filters before bed. Hitting the button a second time is obviously not difficult, but often I forget or am in the middle of something and don’t want to run down to the pool. It’s not right outside the back door. Which reminds me, I need to go drop him in now that the storm has passed. No need to subject him to lightning if not necessary. Electricity did go out for a few minutes.


Have you checked pricing versus Marina Pool & Spa? You need to call them to order. They are very competitive.
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Just got off the phone with Margaret from Marina Pool and Spa.. She was very helpful, prices are indeed compatible. I already ruled out the Quantum and kinda concentrate on either S300 or S330i or M400. They are within $150 difference between cheapest S300 and most expensive (on my list) M400. They all come with caddy which is a big ($120-150) plus. I don't really need M400 but the only reason I am considering it is for the warranty - 36 month. I've heard some horror stories about repairs on the out of warranty units. Also M400 has 3 brushes with center active brush.
 

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The M400 will assure you it won’t get stuck on your main drains if you have them. It’s not a common problem to get fully stuck, but the third brush means it won’t happen. Margaret has helped hundreds here I dare say. I think you’ve done a good job narrowing it down.
 
I bought the M400 last month because I have a raised drain. Went through all the same models with Margret and she agreed. Great price and so far has been working great, never stuck on the drain. Took two days from ordering to receiving.
 
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bmoreswim said:
The M400 will assure you it won’t get stuck on your main drains if you have them. It’s not a common problem to get fully stuck, but the third brush means it won’t happen. Margaret has helped hundreds here I dare say. I think you’ve done a good job narrowing it down.
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I have a fiberglass pool and 2 of my main drains are kinda on the side wall/just above the corner where wall connects with floor. Should I be concerned about getting robot stuck on those?
 
I can't answer if it will get stuck on the drains as I went by recommendations. I've been using a pressure side cleaner for the last 17 years and got tired of throwing money at the mx8 year after year.
 
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hagani said:
I have a fiberglass pool and 2 of my main drains are kinda on the side wall/just above the corner where wall connects with floor. Should I be concerned about getting robot stuck on those?
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Unless they are on the bottom, I can’t see any way any Dolphin robot would get stuck on them.
 
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I was ready to pull the trigger on S300i but Marina Pool and Spa was out of stock on it.

So had to go ahead and purchase A30i which Margaret said absolutely identical to S300i except for the color which I really didn't care.

Also paid with AMEX to get extended warranty for an additional 2 years. :cool:

Will post my opinion on it once I get it and try it :)
 
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hagani, I just went through this dilema too.
There are so many "models", to choose from. Do visit your authorized maytronics dealer to learn about the models

I ended up getting the Nautilus CC for $499 (certified refurb, no tax, shipped)

My Reasoning:
  1. I thought i needed manual control too, turns out I did not. I have that on my roomba and only used it once...
  2. Investment cost. I didn't want to spend a lot on something that can easily stop working outside the warranty.
  3. Pool size: The CC covers 33' although the provided cable is 50'. My pool is 31' long.
  4. Filter. The CC has a box type filter that can hold more gunk IMO. You can upgrade to the superfine filter if needed.
  5. The Maytronics manual recommends not leaving the robot in salt water, So even though the robot is schedulable, that feature becomes moot if it is outside the water.
  6. This is the internet model, so it has more sales and is more popular/known. I could sell this at a lower price If I wanted to upgrade.
I'm very happy with m Nautilus CC. It removed a lot of sand, algae & leaves from my enclosed in-ground pool.

Some things that could be improved are: (Hope we have a Maytronics rep listening :) )
  • Ability to leave the pool-robot in the pool. i.e. Materials with salt water resistance.
  • Ability to clean steps/ledges. It tries but does not seem smart enough to detect its a step.
  • Bristle brushes. The current "brushes" on all the models don't really scrub the floor. A combination bristle+brush after-market part would be awesome.
  • Cordless. (A guy can wish)
Thanks for reading. Hope this helps!
 
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