Polaris vs. Dolphin

[jersey]

Hello All!

I need some help. I've never owned a robot cleaner and I'm looking to buy one for my 16x32 in-ground rectangular pool with a vinyl liner. I've done some searching and it looks like the reviews are all over the place on which models are recommended.

I like the idea of being able to control the robot with an app and having it on a regular daily schedule or having it run every few days. I also have trees around my pool, so we get quite a few leaves and it would have to be something that can handle large debris.

I keep seeing websites/videos for the "top cleaner of 2022" and both the Polaris 9650iQ, the Dolphin Premier, and Dolphin CC are usually included, so I have a few questions:

(1) Is either Polaris or Dolphin more highly regarded/more reliable?
(2) Does anyone use the "smart" features of these cleaners enabled by the app?
(3) Is a caddy nice to have, or totally unnecessary?
(4) Is there a particular model you use that you recommend that I can buy online?

Thank you!

Mike

 

[Toxophilite]

I use the Polaris VRXiQ. The caddy is very handy to hold controller and for storage - very tidy way to manage. The app is most handy to me to drive it around to pick up an aggravating leaf or piece of mulch and to drive it to wall for retrieval, but I don't really need any scheduling.

 

[Mdragger88]

I have a dolphin nautilus cc - it only has 1 brush but does well with my vinyl liner. It doesn’t move horizontally to clean the water/tile line which isn’t an issue for me.
It is one of the few with 1 brush that offers weekly scheduling & automation mode (which is what i use w/a smart plug)
It’s basically an s50 or equivalent with a longer cable, automation mode, & weekly scheduling.
On the maytronics website you have to look for that feature in the specs of each robot. It doesn’t have the app like the premier (which can be buggy) or the ability to “drive” it . Those are bells & whistles I don’t need.
All the robots available have about 5 yrs or possibly less before things need to be replaced so I chose to keep cost down knowing it may need to be replaced in 5yrs or so.
They all have normal wear items on them like tracks & cables.
The s200 or equivalent is generally sufficient for most if you don’t need all the bells & whistles of the app & such. They have all the features of my nautilus cc and two brushes with waterline cleaning.
The caddy has its place but it’s not a necessity. It depends on how your home is set up & how u plan to use the robot.
I store my robot on its side in a deck box next to the pool. Its controller also lives in there. I don’t have a garage or pool house that I need to transport it to & there is no where to store it on my covered patio.
The controller is not weather proof & its not good to leave it out in the sun.
Decide what features u need & then sort from there.
Check out this thread- there are several references listed to help you wade through the options.

Help me pick a kul bot!

Hi friends, I’m ready to buy myself a robot. I’d like to purchase from Amazon since I can buy the extended warranty and shipping and repairs are covered. I have a 15k gallon in ground plaster pool that is roughly 30 ft x15 feet. There are 3 shelves and there are also 3 steps. My needs are that...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[jersey]

Thanks everyone! That's really helpful.

 

[jersey]

I have a dolphin nautilus cc - it only has 1 brush but does well with my vinyl liner. It doesn’t move horizontally to clean the water/tile line which isn’t an issue for me.
It is one of the few with 1 brush that offers weekly scheduling & automation mode (which is what i use w/a smart plug)
It’s basically an s50 or equivalent with a longer cable, automation mode, & weekly scheduling.
On the maytronics website you have to look for that feature in the specs of each robot. It doesn’t have the app like the premier (which can be buggy) or the ability to “drive” it . Those are bells & whistles I don’t need.
All the robots available have about 5 yrs or possibly less before things need to be replaced so I chose to keep cost down knowing it may need to be replaced in 5yrs or so.
They all have normal wear items on them like tracks & cables.
The s200 or equivalent is generally sufficient for most if you don’t need all the bells & whistles of the app & such. They have all the features of my nautilus cc and two brushes with waterline cleaning.
The caddy has its place but it’s not a necessity. It depends on how your home is set up & how u plan to use the robot.
I store my robot on its side in a deck box next to the pool. Its controller also lives in there. I don’t have a garage or pool house that I need to transport it to & there is no where to store it on my covered patio.
The controller is not weather proof & its not good to leave it out in the sun.
Decide what features u need & then sort from there.
Check out this thread- there are several references listed to help you wade through the options.

Help me pick a kul bot!

Hi friends, I’m ready to buy myself a robot. I’d like to purchase from Amazon since I can buy the extended warranty and shipping and repairs are covered. I have a 15k gallon in ground plaster pool that is roughly 30 ft x15 feet. There are 3 shelves and there are also 3 steps. My needs are that...

www.troublefreepool.com

Thank you! Does the CC hit all the spots on a normal 2 hour cycle? I'm worried that some dirt/debris will be left over after vacuuming and I'll have to lug out the hose/pole and manually vacuum it up. That's why I like the idea of the app...if it misses a spot I can drive it over to that area. How has your experience been with the CC, does it usually get everything?

Mike

 

[Mdragger88]

Thank you! Does the CC hit all the spots on a normal 2 hour cycle? I'm worried that some dirt/debris will be left over after vacuuming and I'll have to lug out the hose/pole and manually vacuum it up. That's why I like the idea of the app...if it misses a spot I can drive it over to that area. How has your experience been with the CC, does it usually get everything?

Mike

I have a large 33ft round pool - sometimes it misses spots but i’ll just run it again

 

[wireform]

It'll miss the spot if your watching it. It won't cover every inch in a 2 hour cycle but if you use it all the time the pool will be spotless. I personally don't care for these things to be set and forget because they do need to be checked from time to time. The floating cable needs occasionally to be disconnected from the controller and uncoiled from the twists from the back and forth cleaning process. Just understand more expensive doesn't mean it'll clean better. I personally like the polaris line 9500 series. Parts are much more available for the diy'er and that's my bottom concern.

 

[swimspaguyy11]

So after reading a bunch of threads, everyone says get S200 or equiv but then I go to watch reviews and first one I watch SHREDS it:

Claims its over priced and doesnt have a lot of features that cheaper ones have. i am surprised it doesnt have more than 2 hour run time (although maybe when I get a robot that is smart enough to scan my pool i wont need more than 2 hours)

HOWEVER, my BS meter spiked when I realized its an online robot dealer and he says the s200 can only be bought in brick and mortar stores. That being said, his points seemed valid to an outsider.

Thanks

 

[SDor]

I just bought a Pentair Prowler 920 from Marina. This is essentially the same as the s200 in the video. From the video, the main issue with the cleaner is that it is overpriced. The ones he sells are a much better value (big surprise!). The price I got for my 920 was $100s cheaper than any of his "superior" value robots. Go figure.

I went with the Dolpin over the Polaris robot for 2 reasons: 1) cheaper. The 920 was ~$300 cheaper than the low-end Polaris (9350), and then I'd still have to buy the ultra-fine filter ($80). On the plus side, the Polaris includes a caddy, but if I decide I need one, they can be found on Facebook marketplace in my area for ~$30, and 2) reviews. There are many reviews talking about the Polaris's failing after 2 years, and many, many positive Dolphin reviews on this site. I take most on-line reviews with a grain of salt now days as it seems like there are so many ways to game them, but, in the end, I tend to trust the folks on this site. Also, Dolphin has been making pool robots for far longer than Polaris so Polaris might still be learning. Having said this, it was mostly about the price. There is something psychological about getting one for under $1000 so, while expensive, if it breaks in a few years, it's not the end of the world. We'll see.

As an aside, this is my first pool robot, and it is supposed to arrive tomorrow, but my pool will not be open for a few more days/week. I bought it so hopefully I don't have to manually vacuum any more... which I usually only have to do a couple times for pool opening. Otherwise, my pressure side Polaris works fine for the debris my pool captures. I don't plan to use it regularly, but mostly for getting the dead algae that the Polaris just blows around, and maybe once in a while for the scrubbing. Maybe when the Polaris or booster pump dies, I'll go full robot... we'll see how it goes.

 

[Mdragger88]

Your polaris requires a pump to run which costs significantly more to operate than the dolphin. Many people make the switch just for this reason. I’m betting you’ll be full “team robot” by the end of the weekend & the polaris will be in the shed relegated to backup duty

 

[dsingram]

I owned a dolphin that lasted about 3.5 years. It ate power supplies like candy. My Polaris iQ just died after 5 years with 2 extended repair visits. It likes to flood the controller (error 10).
For the cost, both aren’t acceptable. I liked all the fancy features too, but I never ended up using them. I am now on the hunt for a bot with the intelligence of a pressure side scooter, dumb as a rock, so long as it lasts as long.

 

[wireform]

I just bought a Pentair Prowler 920 from Marina. This is essentially the same as the s200 in the video. From the video, the main issue with the cleaner is that it is overpriced. The ones he sells are a much better value (big surprise!). The price I got for my 920 was $100s cheaper than any of his "superior" value robots. Go figure.

I went with the Dolpin over the Polaris robot for 2 reasons: 1) cheaper. The 920 was ~$300 cheaper than the low-end Polaris (9350), and then I'd still have to buy the ultra-fine filter ($80). On the plus side, the Polaris includes a caddy, but if I decide I need one, they can be found on Facebook marketplace in my area for ~$30, and 2) reviews. There are many reviews talking about the Polaris's failing after 2 years, and many, many positive Dolphin reviews on this site. I take most on-line reviews with a grain of salt now days as it seems like there are so many ways to game them, but, in the end, I tend to trust the folks on this site. Also, Dolphin has been making pool robots for far longer than Polaris so Polaris might still be learning. Having said this, it was mostly about the price. There is something psychological about getting one for under $1000 so, while expensive, if it breaks in a few years, it's not the end of the world. We'll see.

As an aside, this is my first pool robot, and it is supposed to arrive tomorrow, but my pool will not be open for a few more days/week. I bought it so hopefully I don't have to manually vacuum any more... which I usually only have to do a couple times for pool opening. Otherwise, my pressure side Polaris works fine for the debris my pool captures. I don't plan to use it regularly, but mostly for getting the dead algae that the Polaris just blows around, and maybe once in a while for the scrubbing. Maybe when the Polaris or booster pump dies, I'll go full robot... we'll see how it goes.

The Polaris 9350 is a poor comparison to the said dolphin. This model polaris is not 4wd and doesn't work half as good as the 9450 and big difference to the 9550 which have better option on the controller.

 

[SDor]

Your polaris requires a pump to run which costs significantly more to operate than the dolphin. Many people make the switch just for this reason. I’m betting you’ll be full “team robot” by the end of the weekend & the polaris will be in the shed relegated to backup duty

So how do people figure out how much it costs to run their booster pump? I can't even really figure out how much my whole pool costs to run since the AC is usually running at the same time so, of course, my bills are much higher. I do have a supposedly more efficient booster pump (Polaris PB4SQ), but I bought it mainly because it is very quiet. My family will not let me turn off the AC for a month so I can compare energy use of pool vs. no pool.

 

[Mdragger88]

Ohms law- I x E = P to determine how many watts your pump uses. There should be some values listed on the pump nameplate to get u started.
Then figure out how much u are charged per kwh.

 

[swimspaguyy11]

I just bought a Pentair Prowler 920 from Marina. This is essentially the same as the s200 in the video. From the video, the main issue with the cleaner is that it is overpriced. The ones he sells are a much better value (big surprise!). The price I got for my 920 was $100s cheaper than any of his "superior" value robots. Go figure.

I went with the Dolpin over the Polaris robot for 2 reasons: 1) cheaper. The 920 was ~$300 cheaper than the low-end Polaris (9350), and then I'd still have to buy the ultra-fine filter ($80). On the plus side, the Polaris includes a caddy, but if I decide I need one, they can be found on Facebook marketplace in my area for ~$30, and 2) reviews. There are many reviews talking about the Polaris's failing after 2 years, and many, many positive Dolphin reviews on this site. I take most on-line reviews with a grain of salt now days as it seems like there are so many ways to game them, but, in the end, I tend to trust the folks on this site. Also, Dolphin has been making pool robots for far longer than Polaris so Polaris might still be learning. Having said this, it was mostly about the price. There is something psychological about getting one for under $1000 so, while expensive, if it breaks in a few years, it's not the end of the world. We'll see.

As an aside, this is my first pool robot, and it is supposed to arrive tomorrow, but my pool will not be open for a few more days/week. I bought it so hopefully I don't have to manually vacuum any more... which I usually only have to do a couple times for pool opening. Otherwise, my pressure side Polaris works fine for the debris my pool captures. I don't plan to use it regularly, but mostly for getting the dead algae that the Polaris just blows around, and maybe once in a while for the scrubbing. Maybe when the Polaris or booster pump dies, I'll go full robot... we'll see how it goes.

That is funny because I came to all the same conclusions and also just ordered a Pentair Prowler 920 from Margaret from Marina LOL. Mine is also on the way.

I feel really good about my decision. The only thing I am iffy on is if I should have spent more for the 930W so I could get wifi (probably dont need) and caddy (might be nice). For the price increase though, it felt not worth it, especially since these things dont last forever and the 930W I believe only comes with 1 filter type and the 920 has 2.

One thing I wasnt completely clear on and forgot to ask Margaret, is the "Spring" filter the same as a rough filter? Would I want to run the spring when the pool is really dirty and the ultra fine the rest of the year? Thanks

 

[SDor]

That is funny because I came to all the same conclusions and also just ordered a Pentair Prowler 920 from Margaret from Marina LOL. Mine is also on the way.

I feel really good about my decision. The only thing I am iffy on is if I should have spent more for the 930W so I could get wifi (probably dont need) and caddy (might be nice). For the price increase though, it felt not worth it, especially since these things dont last forever and the 930W I believe only comes with 1 filter type and the 920 has 2.

One thing I wasnt completely clear on and forgot to ask Margaret, is the "Spring" filter the same as a rough filter? Would I want to run the spring when the pool is really dirty and the ultra fine the rest of the year? Thanks

I went back and forth on the 920 vs 930W as well. Ultimately, price won. Also, the comments on this site that the s200 is "good enough" for many people didn't hurt. I can always upgrade in a few years if I feel I'm really missing something... then, it will be easier to justify the additional cost because I'll be more informed having actually used a robot for while.

 

[Pool_Medic]

Just keep an eye on those climbing rings, once they wear down it won’t climb at all.

 

[robl45]

So after reading a bunch of threads, everyone says get S200 or equiv but then I go to watch reviews and first one I watch SHREDS it:

Claims its over priced and doesnt have a lot of features that cheaper ones have. i am surprised it doesnt have more than 2 hour run time (although maybe when I get a robot that is smart enough to scan my pool i wont need more than 2 hours)

HOWEVER, my BS meter spiked when I realized its an online robot dealer and he says the s200 can only be bought in brick and mortar stores. That being said, his points seemed valid to an outsider.

Thanks

There is a severe bias on this forum going back years and years for Dolphin. Not sure why. Mine lasted maybe a little over 2 years and never cleaned very well. My smart pool cleaner blew it away for the same money. I still have that one in my garage, stopped using it when it decided it wanted to get stuck on my main drains after a couple of years. I have had a Polaris P955 for a number of years now and its my favorite robot. It never gets stuck on the main drain. I hear the new dolphins have thrusters that hopefully don't cause that problem anymore.

 

[kul]

Hi! My kulbot thread is above. I went with the proteus Dx4 from Amazon. And got the 3 year extended warranty just in case. So far I like it a lot. Mostly nice not to have to connect to skimmer and have my pump running. It’s so quiet!

 

[Mdragger88]

There is a severe bias on this forum going back years and years for Dolphin. Not sure why. Mine lasted maybe a little over 2 years and never cleaned very well. My smart pool cleaner blew it away for the same money. I still have that one in my garage, stopped using it when it decided it wanted to get stuck on my main drains after a couple of years. I have had a Polaris P955 for a number of years now and its my favorite robot. It never gets stuck on the main drain. I hear the new dolphins have thrusters that hopefully don't cause that problem anymore.

I wouldn’t necessarily call it a bias.
They just happened to be the 1st to really have the tech- everyone else just kinda copied it. Some have improved upon it but not by much. This has allowed them to pretty much dominate the robotic pool cleaner market. I do agree that the quality of the parts has changed. This is mainly so they can sell them at a price that competes with suction & pressure side cleaners when electricity savings are considered.
There are still some old float handle models in service after many years. That design is now reserved for only their premium bots.
They, like all brands & types of cleaners have their quirks with different pool types & also require periodic maintenance.
The forum consensus is a culmination of the real world experience of the members as a collective. I have no doubt if things really go down hill or something else blows them out of the water in terms of cost, performance, & reliability the collective view here would change. In fact I think we are on the cusp of that - technology is changing rapidly. The market is ripe for a breakthrough.