Robotic Pool Cleaners

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paulmaz

paulmaz

Bronze Supporter
Apr 19, 2016
171
San Antonio, TX
Pool Size
15000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I started a thread yesterday looking for ideas for a new Booster Pump, but others have alerted me that I basically using a Hayes 2400 Baud modem to connect to the internet...
Booster Pump died...

So started looking at Robotic cleaners. Ouch! Dolphin alone has 33 models that supposedly meet the criteria of my pool! I like the S200 as a few have recommended. Does anyone else have comments on what they like/dislike? Things to look for? avoid?

Thanks in advance!
 
I have the Nautilus CC Plus (albeit just for a couple of months) and have been happy with it. Currently, I am running it every 3 or 4 days and cleaning the filter is a breeze...takes about 8-10 minutes. The only issue I have is that it will get hung up on the stairs probably every other use. It's annoying when it happens, but I just check on it every 30 minutes or so, and if it's stuck, I will just toss it back in the water. I have noticed that when it gets stuck for more than a few minutes, it will shut off...which is good, that alleviates (or at least reduces) the chances of premature wear on the tracks/components.

When we moved into the house, it had a pressure cleaner and we used it for a few days...but it was an absolute POS compared to the robot. Yes, they are expensive, but I think they are worth the cost.
 
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Many of us called Marina Pool in Denver and asked for their recommendation based on our pool type and what features we wanted. They have competitive prices and sell full warranty robots as they do phone sales only.

I have an Active20 which is the same as the S200. Love it. If you want a caddy (a thing to set the robot on and store the cord) get the S300. I leave my robot in the pool most of the time when in use. Otherwise I have the space to just set the robot on its side and lay the cord by it in my RV garage. Ask about the Combo filter too when you call Marina. No extra charge last year. Combines the screen filter and pleated filter.
 
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I talked to a local shop here in San Antonio (Pool Zoom). He pretty much echoed what Mr. Knauss said. With the S series, base is same, just feature difference as you go up the chain. He did mention I may get a tad better coverage with the M series, as it has zero turn duel motors, but not required, as the S series would be fine.

At this point I am leaning toward the S300 as it has the carrier and some "cool" features. They have it priced at $1,199. I will call Marina Pool later on today and see what they got. I like the idea of a local shop, as they can take care of warranties and all that.
 
Paul,

The problem is, that other than the first month, you will never use the "cool" features... :)

As far as the caddie goes, I believe the worst thing you can do to your robot's cord is to wrap it up on the caddie.. I like much larger loops..

Jim R.
 
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I kind of agree that bumping up to the s300 doesn't really make sense unless you plan on using the caddy a lot. My customers that have it don't seem like they use the caddy at all. If you don't use the caddy the delayed start option and quick clean option are totally worthless to me, so id save the $300 and get the s200. You could probably get the Pentair prowler 920 (same thing) for $800 after a rebate, so that may be worth checking out. It may make sense to bump up to the 300i because you get the dual filtration and the app controls, also the option to run a little bit longer. I have yet to see an m600 run but I am intrigued by the youtube videos
 
Good afternoon,
So this weekend I went to the local Pool Zoom store here in San Antonio, and they lent had a demo unit of the s300i. I put it in my pool, and just turned it on, and away she went. WOW. These robots are awesome! My pool was pretty dirty as I have not had the Polaris working for a while. But Wow, it cleaned it up really good! In the default 2 hour cleaning, it missed a few spots, so I ran it again, and after that, it got my entire pool. I like the scrubbing it did, and cleaning the robot was easy (easier than cleaning the Polaris)

I did not use the App to run it at all. Nor nothing advanced. It did have the extra strainer, which you can buy separately for like $46. And I did not see a need for the caddy. So based on the fact I just used it as a s200, I think I am sold on the s200. they have it at the store for $899, plus a 24 month warranty. The guy said usually after Spring Break Maytronics may have a 50-100 rebate offer.

This seems like a good deal. I think I have heard the on-line models (triton, nautilus , etc.) are the same thing, and can get cheaper. But I like the idea if anything happens in the firs two years I can just take it back to the store. Any reason I should not move forward (I will wait a few weeks to see if a rebate comes available)

thanks,
 

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I went the simple route and bought a Hayward TigerShark QC (Amazon) to save some bucks and hassle just after putting in a new pressure pump (then regretting it). I was not sure I was going to keep it and Amazon is pretty good about returns. I get a lot of silt and dust and the pressure-side cleaners would just not get it. The TigerShark (and probably any of the robots) pulls an amazing amount of silt and dirt out. The run cost of the pressure pump driven cleaners is ridiculously high compared to a robot. Electric costs alone may well have paid for it in a year.

I did not think the features for more $ would come into play for me. If you want multiple cycles you can just put a simple $10 timer on the power and this robot will come on and clean. Mine pretty much lives in the pool all the time and runs its regular cleaning cycle. Other people pull theirs in and out all the time but I don't. If you have a large leaf volume you might have to do some manual cleaning but for a reasonable dirt and leaf load, this one works for me.
 
When we move into our new house our pool is a 20'x40', vinyl sides, rounded corners and 36,000 gallons. The last owner is a good friend and has thought about getting a robotic cleaner and I would like one so what would you all recommend that doesn't break the $600ish barrier? Is that price point even an option to stay under? There are lots of options and I'm looking for what direction to go...Thanks! :)
 
The Maytronics/Dolphin line start at $700. I have the Active20, which is equivalent to the S200 (lots of different badges/colors out there all being the same robot). No caddy. No bluetooth controls. Cleans great.

Contact Marina Pools in Denver and discuss with them your needs, desires, etc. They can give you a recommendation. If you get a lot of leaves, etc be sure to ask for the combo filter system. They provide that for nothing in exchange for the normal filter system.

Take care
 
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