I don't have personal experience yet, but I've been reading through this forum for weeks now with this same question, and finally decided. 20x40, three steps, IG vinyl here. Maybe my massive research will help you since it really is daunting to try narrowing down the options, and Dolphin's website is horrible at helping you do it. They literally all look the same.
I settled on the Dolphin S300i, or the equivalent Active 30i. Right now there's an excellent way to get it at a really good price. You call
Marina Pool Spa and Patio, where the S300i/Active 30i series is $899, the S300/Active 30 is $799, and S200/Active 20 is $699. Those are already great deals, but there's
also a rebate going on if you order before June 30. This knocks $125 off the 300i/30i model, $75 off the 300/30, and $50 off the 200/20. This is why I think it's worth upgrading all the way to a 30i, since it's so much cheaper. Winds up being $774 after rebate, shipped free.
If not that, the Doheny Discovery is on a good deal right now at $679 (
Doheny's Discovery Powered by Dolphin | Doheny's Pool Supplies Fast ), but I feel at this price point, most would consider moving to the Dolphin worth the upgrade. Still, people seem to love the Discovery, and Doheny is known for decent customer service.
There's also a decent deal on the Nautilus Plus with Caddy at Poolzoom (
Dolphin Nautilus Plus Pool Claner, Top Load Robotic Pool Cleaner). But again, I think for the price you'd be better off with the 30i. There are mixed reviews on that filter system, and most people seem to prefer the top basket type filter. But the fact it comes with a caddy makes it worth consideration.
So, it's up to you, but one thing that helped make my decision was lurking on
Matt's thread about his 300i. In general, everybody loves their robot no matter the model, but it seems the 30i/300i has the most stellar reviews. And at the current price point I really don't think you can do much better. But I suggest narrowing it down to a few units, watching some YouTube clips of it in action, and snapping something up while summer deals are going on.
