Has anyone ran this pool skimming robot ?

I have a Surfer M1. Others to consider in that price range include the Betta SE Plus, Wybot F1 and Smonet SR5, though I am unaware of the availability and cost in Canada. The Betta in particular is quite popular and well-regarded on TFP.

I’ve been happy with the M1. It did have an early failure after three weeks, Aiper Customer Service took good care of me. I documented my experience here and here. The unit has worked well since then.

The Surfer M1 and S1 are identical except for color and the distribution channels through which they are sold.

The Surfers have some interesting features:
  • In addition to charging via the solar panel, they include an A/C charging adapter. A/C charging was a requirement for me.
  • The 5L basket is accessed from the top of the skimmer (instead of sliding out the ends) and has a 200um mesh. The basket is fully enclosed - as opposed to an open top or side - so debris won’t fall out when the skimmer reverses in the pool or when you’re carrying the basket to dump the contents.
  • It has an App which is used to communicate with the skimmer, which shows:
    • the connection status (Bluetooth & WiFi),
    • Surfer Status (e.g., moving, stuck on something, etc),
    • battery charge (in 1% increments) and
    • displays the current water & (approximate) air temperatures.
  • The App has a Remote Control to manually maneuver the skimmer. The Remote Control works, but has a 2-3 second response lag. Still, it's kind of fun leisurely playing with it and directing it to floating debris. Most importantly, it entertains the grandkids!
  • You can remotely put the Surfer into Standby mode. The Standby mode is useful to conserve battery life when active skimming isn't needed - as with calm winds overnight or on cloudy days. Then when needed, you can reactivate the Cleaning mode.
  • The app works from anywhere you have internet access.
Hope this helps!
 
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I have the Betta SE Plus. I'm sure either would be a good choice. There's no control via app with the Betta, but it does have a nearly useless remote. I'm happy with my bot. Check pricing and availability in your neck of the woods and choose the best value. Just my two cents.
 
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Aiper now has an S2 out. Seems to be slightly better than the S1.

One thing that caught my eye is they reference some sort of anti dump design. One weakness of the Betta is that when they reverse sometime they do spit out some of the debris. Now I am not saying the Aiper is better, I have no evidence of that.

Also my Bettas do occasionally get stuck at the skimmer due to suction. Dont know if the Aipers would be better at that.

If I did not already have two working Betta’s I would buy the Aiper for fun.