Help deciding between Dolphon S300i and M500

Jump to latest Follow Reply
M

michaelverga89

0
Apr 19, 2017
2
Staten Island/New York
Hi all,

I've been browsing the forums for a while now and I still can't decide which robot to purchase. I'm leaning towards the M500 solely based on the fact that I don't want the robot to get stuck on the two main drains I have in my pool.

I have a 12x20 4.5ft deep rectangular vinyl liner pool with built in steps. I live in the suburbs of NYC with massive trees from both neighbors. I get the brunt of the leaves so my pool is filled with a good amount of leaves daily. Ignoring price, (Marina quoted the robots at S300i $899 and the M500 at $1199) any recommendations on which robot to purchase for my environment? What are the pros and cons of each?

Thank you in advance.
 
I personally think the M500 would be overkill in that smallish pool. It looks quite a bit heavier also.

I would say you could do equally well with the Dolphin Discovery, or the S200 or above S300 if you just have money burning a hole in your pocket, LOL :bball:

One poster stated the bluetooth didn't work quite so well a few feet further away from the pool than the adverts make it appear?

Maddie :flower:

Oh yeah!--> WELCOME to TFP! Glad to have you here!
 
Welcome aboard.

There was a similar thread a few years ago https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/96520-Dolphin-S300I-vs-Dolphin-M500 and another more recent one
https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/142032-Dolphin-S300i-vs-Dolphin-M5-500-Pro that my have some good info of use in making your decision (there is input from S300i users with drain issues).

I can say that in shopping/comparing I was very (perhaps overly) concerned about a potential problem with a bot getting stuck on a main drain (typical cause is the bot becomes high centered, ie the drain cover basically elevates the bot so its drive wheels or tracks don't touch the floor, secondary cause could be suction related). In looking at reviews here I made having three brushes a primary plus factor in my decision making, then I determined that the dual drive motors and split brushes were even more assurance of good cleaning and would likely eliminate any chance of getting stuck. I bought the M500.

Did I over buy? I probably could have chosen a M400 for $225 less. However I wanted the three different cycle lengths (I almost always use the 3 hour mode) and the remote.

You might want to consider the M400 and determine whether the S300i has a third brush.

I bought my M500 two years ago to save me time and to take care of a chore that I had grown to dread. I have been happy every day in use. This reminds me I should post up a comment in the M500 owners club thread and update my signature.
 
If you have a main drain I would go with the M series just to avoid getting stuck on it. But for your size pool I’d get the M400 over M500. They’re identical units other than run time and the scheduling feature.

If you dont don’t have a main drain go for the S300.
 
Hi Michael,

The comments and feedback from everyone here are very helpful. I was the OP in one of the threads mentioned by jtaves85mcss (Dolphin S300I vs Dolphin M500).

I ended up going for the M500 and can say that I'm very happy with it.

It is robust, cleans thoroughly, and the third brush seems to do a nice scrubbing job. I suspect that the two brushes on the s300i would do an equally good job though.

My experience with the swivel chord is good too - I can see (even with this) that twisting *could* be a problem without it if care is not taken.

I was a little conscious that the filter cleaning looked easier on the s300i but I have not had any difficulty cleaning on the M500 and, unless you have lots and lots of leaves or large debris in the pool, the M500 filters will be plenty big enough.

Hope this helps!

Saul
 
So here I was all ready to buy and S300i. I figured the new basket style was really appealing and was ready to live with a tangled cord. So I call Margaret and she asks me a few questions about my pool. Then she tells me about an end of year deal with the M500, so guess what. An M500 is on its way to replace the old Supreme M5 that was stolen. So I guess I wont be disappointed since I know what to expect and loved the old M5. It will be interesting to see what if any differences there are. However, no review of the differences between that and an s300i.
 
I have just ordered the M500,

the reasons for my decision are:
-it has 3 brushes over 2
- the microns for the density for the M500 are (70 standard & 50 ultra fine), so even with the standard filter in it picks up more fine debris (all I get is fine dust and dirt in my pool, no leaves, etc. The S300i has macron numbers of 100 and 50 for its filter.
- warranty 3 yrs vs 2
- gyroscope for M500
- both units have smartphone app in Australia.

I do love the size and ease of the filter in the S300i, but I think the M500 will be fine as I only need it to do fine debris as stated above.

Time will tell if I made the right decision. Fingers crossed.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply