Hi David0408,
I use and recommend the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus. It's great choice if you are looking for something to get the job done and done well. This is my 2nd one and I've had it for for 2 years now. I think they run somewhere around 750 to 800 dollars these days.
First, let me tell you what it doesn't do.
It does not have any bluetooth capabilities, or this and that bells and whistles. It does not do well on steps or narrow tanning ledges. But those are things I don't give a hoot about!
If you want bluetooth and bells and whistles, there are other Dolphin models to fulfill that desire, but as with everything these days, they come at a premium.
However the Nautilus CC Plus is just a bit more than the basic low end robot.
Now I'll tell you what it does do, and does it well:
1. Climbs and scrubs the walls and haphazardly turns sideways and crawl down and cleans the waterline.
2. Somehow it magically cleans every inch of the pool bottom. I have no clue how it knows !
3. It has a "no tangle" 50 ft. cord. It uses a swivel to help minimize the cord twisting up. This 'no tangle' feature does work to a large extent, but now and then, you do need to stretch it out and get the cord sorted back out. If you ask me, the no tangle feature is worth the extra money.
4. The Power Supply allows for a bit of auto-scheduling. There is not a clock or timer on it. It just starts when you push the schedule button and goes from there. The cleaning cycle is 2 hours. By the push of a button, you can schedule to clean:
a) every day
b) every 2 days,
c) once a week
5. According to the manufacturer, the power consumption is 180 Watts, so its very energy efficient.
As a side note, you do not have to use the scheduling functions if you don't want to. Just push the power button ON whenever you want to use it.
As for the quality, based solely upon my personal experience....
13 years ago, I bought the 'standard' no frills Dolphin Nautilus and it lasted me 11 years before it finally wore out. It served me well and I was more than happy with it. It wasn't the motor or any electrical parts that gave up, but the plastic parts did. After being in the water for 75% of the time for 11 years, exposed to the chemicals and sunlight the plastic parts got brittle and started breaking. Anyways, I consider 11 years a pretty good deal no matter how you want to slice it. Because of this, it was a no brainer for me to go with a Dolphin robot again. If my 'new' one lasts even half as long as my old Dolphin, I'll be happy.
I would like to say though, that there are some good brands out there, so pick which ever one suits you the best. I have no doubt you will like it wayyy better than what you have now.