So.Done.Researching. Which Dolphin (or other bot) to get...

[Wolfepack88]

I have the Dolphin S400 and its on its 2nd season or 2.5 as we had it for the first few months when the pool was completed in fall of 2021. Anyhow, it works great, doesn't live in the water (I put it in each time). I can run floors only for 2.5hours, a quick one hour clean, floors and walls, etc so there are plenty of cleaning cycles to choose from. I have fiberglass and it will clean the walls which to me never seem to get very dirty. Its the floors I use it primarily for and I use the 2.5hour setting. Does a great job, easy to clean out and I keep on the cart when its done which stores the cord nicely and the power unit. Never had any cord issues and the app works well. I have a nice outlet close to my pool which makes the setup work nicely (TFP recommended during the build). It even climbs up the wall when its done. 2nd or 3rd Marina Spa as that is where I got mine as well and they were awesome to deal with. Hoping not leaving it the water and storing inside when not in use will give me more life than the average. I have an autocover so the its closed when we are not swimming so that helps to keep the pool clean. Pool looks clean to me so no complaints.

 

[Holydoc]

I bought the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus in 2017 for my above-ground pool and still use it for my in-ground peebletec pool today. Link in Amazon here:

Amazon.com

It does a GREAT job with the floor and walls. It does a not so good job with the waterline. It does a poor (i.e., not existant) job with the tanning shelf and stairs. So basically, I brush the tanning ledge and the stairs before putting the vacuum cleaner in the pool and let it go. It has a 50' line that covers my entire pool without a problem.

Granted I am bias since this has been my only robotic cleaner, but for a vacuum cleaner that I expected to last 3 years and has worked flawlessly for 6 years, I cannot recommend it enough. I have oak trees hanging over the pool and a dirt road beside it. Vacuum never fails to pick up nearly every leaf, squiggly things, acorns, and all the dirt on the floor. Pool always looks immaculate. What else can you ask for in a cleaner?

 

[Wolfepack88]

I bought the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus in 2017 for my above-ground pool and still use it for my in-ground peebletec pool today. Link in Amazon here:

Amazon.com

It does a GREAT job with the floor and walls. It does a not so good job with the waterline. It does a poor (i.e., not existant) job with the tanning shelf and stairs. So basically, I brush the tanning ledge and the stairs before putting the vacuum cleaner in the pool and let it go. It has a 50' line that covers my entire pool without a problem.

Granted I am bias since this has been my only robotic cleaner, but for a vacuum cleaner that I expected to last 3 years and has worked flawlessly for 6 years, I cannot recommend it enough. I have oak trees hanging over the pool and a dirt road beside it. Vacuum never fails to pick up nearly every leaf, squiggly things, acorns, and all the dirt on the floor. Pool always looks immaculate. What else can you ask for in a cleaner?

Agree 100% on the tanning shelf and stairs. I take my brush and push anything into the main pool for the robot and it gets it all.

 

[ValTag]

I too have been doing much research as my Dolphin Nautilus purchased in 2013 had died at the end of the 2022 NY season. That bot was not a high end model ($699?) back then yet it cleaned the waterline, AND included UltraFine filters. Now it seems there are so many models that don't have waterline cleaning, which I think is too important not to have, or the Ultra Fine filters. I've had a Dolphin Quantum in my cart for a couple of weeks now...it checks more than enough boxes except that so many complain about the cord twisting up and I'm afraid to spend $1200 on a bot that may only last 3 or 4 years. What happened to improvements there?...I had no idea that having my Nautilus for 9 years was way out of the norm. I really wish the cordless Dolphin Liberty 400 was out...