Upgraded to Dolphin Explorer E30 (from 5 year old Dolphin s300i) - My Thoughts

[cspool]

New Explorer E30 on the right, 5.5 year old s300i on the left which just died

Just sharing side by side pics for posterity, and comments on recent purchase.

Purchased the E30 from Marina Pool Spa & Patio on Friday and it arrived on Tuesday.
I also purchased the 9991467-ASSY Ultra Fine Filter Cartridges to go with it as I did like that filter with my old robot, but it was showing some wear.
Considered the Triton PS, but didn't want the orange color.
I didn't really use the extra features of the s300i like steering, or floor vs wall modes, or even the iPhone integration after initially checking it out.
I would have maybe purchased the S200 this go round if it were in stock, because of the lighter color and it comes with both filters, but the E30 is similar enough for me.
I'm using my old Cady with the new robot.
One new feature to me is the new robot has the swivel cord which my old one did not.

Explorer E30 Maytronics Robotic Pool Cleaner - Marina Pool Spa & Patio

Explorer E30 Maytronics Robotic Pool Cleaner

marinapoolspaandpatio.com

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Question - on your 5 year old S300i, did you eventually have any motor/ thrust issues? Did the robot still execute turns or did it get “sluggish”?

 

[cspool]

Question - on your 5 year old S300i, did you eventually have any motor/ thrust issues? Did the robot still execute turns or did it get “sluggish”?

I think it still worked and cleaned well. I didn't notice any motor/thrust issues anyway. Though that said, the E30 does get higher up out of the water when cleaning the tiles than I remember the s300i getting lately... So not positive...it worked well enough...

My main issues with it were the power cord was breaking down, and the filters too. I didn't want to spend money repairing things with it being that old already. So I patched the power cord with some waterproof-(ish) tape, and it got by for another season before it eventually made some tiny popping sound (maybe an internal breaker...not sure) and wouldn't come on.

I think what really did me in was I used some iron-out to wipe off the outside plastic to get rid of some iron staining. So it looked brand new. heh so of course the next time I used it after that it broke.

 

[DencoPaul]

Hey, cs...

Just curious. What color is the E30? Sometimes it looks black, sometimes it looks navy or midnight blue. Not that big of a deal, just curious.

I am thinking right now the way for me to go is the E30. A year ago, I tried to buy an S300 from Marina. I did not need the wifi but for my situation, I would like the caddy. At the time, the S300 was only around $35 more than an S200 + a caddy. Was put on a waiting list, and told that it would be a month or so before stock. That apparently did not happen. Never got a call and never saw them listed back in stock. So I manually kept the pool cleaned all last summer. PITA!!! No more.

So I have looked at what Marina has in stock and sent them an email for price comparison. Pentair Prowler 930W (which seems a rebranded S300--wifi, caddy, etc.) or an E30 plus the ultra-fine filter plus a caddy. I haven't heard back since emailing them on Tuesday. As an aside, last spring, emails and voicemails were never returned from Marina. Finally got through with a live person and ended up on the waiting list for S300 (April 2021). I really want to do business with these folks because they come highly regarded around here and seem to offer as good or better pricing than anywhere else. I am also leery of buying online with all the confusion of warranty through Maytronics. But after three days, I would think one would get a response. Maybe I should try calling again, although I feel like if I don't get a live person, it will be the same non-response as before.

Is it just me or have others had the same issue contacting them?

 

[Newdude]

Is it just me or have others had the same issue contacting them?

In a busy shop, Emails would rarely get answered because as soon as they sit down, the phone rings. A live customer would beat the Email customer who was already waiting everytime. Ever been at the counter of a hardware store (or anywhere, really) and the phone rings ? You get to wait eventhough you were there first. It is what it is.

Keep calling and you'll get through eventually.

 

[DencoPaul]

In a busy shop, Emails would rarely get answered because as soon as they sit down, the phone rings. A live customer would beat the Email customer who was already waiting everytime. Ever been at the counter of a hardware store (or anywhere, really) and the phone rings ? You get to wait eventhough you were there first. It is what it is.

Keep calling and you'll get through eventually.

Oh, I get it. In my mind, I would think email makes for the best solution. I hate being in line at whatever store and the clerk answers the phone and proceeds to spend 5-10 minutes solving the issue for the phone customer while the line stacks up behind me. With email, you can sit down before opening or after closing time (or if there is a break in the action during business hours) and pop off a bunch of replies. I honestly appreciate that business owners and their employees are people with lives and families and interests other than getting ME ME ME my pool widget. At the same time, the customer you never reply to or call back becomes a lost customer at a certain point. This is why I feel email is the ideal medium for this type of business attempting to serve both locals and non-locals. You can answer those around serving the needs of those that walk into your store, whereas phone calls tend to interrupt a live customer if answered or are annoying to everyone within earshot if left to ring unanswered. Just my 3.5 cents (you know, with inflation and all, 2 cents no longer cuts it!)...

 

[Newdude]

If it helps any, these own eyes have read many, many updates from members saying the wait and attempts was worth it.

And 1 friend who did so IRL.

 

[DencoPaul]

My eyes have as well. Their reputation is what is keeping me attempting rather than giving up and buying elsewhere. Yes, supposedly their pricing will eventually be better than others but I never buy on price alone. The service (if needed) after the sale is far more important. Almost anyone can swipe your card, so to speak, and ship you a box. It is how you are treated if there is a problem that shows the worth of a company. And everything I have read, they are excellent in this regard.

 

[Newdude]

The service (if needed) after the sale is far more important

My IRL buddy recieved a dud and he was upgraded to a better model when that one was no longer available a few days later. He had the 2nd one maybe a week and a half after they shipped the first. He was over the moon happy, even with the hiccup for the service, turnaround and free upgrade. Then he evil laughed about having to pay for the fine filters for the fancy robot bevcause he still made out huge.

FWIW, I won't even consider going elsewhere when they build my next pool soon.

 

[Drock85]

How is the Explorer E30 working out? I went to order an S200 from Mariana but they are out of stock until mid May. So, i went for the Explorer E30 and excited to replace my Polaris 360 which has been a chore to keep going. I was a bit bummed that the E30 was the same price as the S200 without getting the ultra fine filters along with it.

 

[DencoPaul]

Greetings all...

I thought my previous comments about ordering a robot cleaner from Marina warranted an update.

So when I last left off, I had emailed Marina to purchase a pool cleaner about two weeks ago. Last week (leading up to Easter) was a crazy week for me and I took no further action until this past Tuesday. I called and left a brief message about what I was looking for. When I did not hear back, I left another brief message yesterday (Thursday). This morning, right at store opening time in Colorado, I received a call from Seth. Nice guy, ran down the list of what was available that met my criteria (S200 or S300 equivalent) and patiently explained differences, etc. To reiterate, the features on the S200 type were ideal for what I needed and I was only considering the S300 because a year ago, it was only $40 more than the S200 + a caddy. No brainer. But times have changed and it appears that the difference is now going to be closer to $200. I don't need the bells and whistles for that much more money.

So I pulled the trigger on the Pentair Prowler 920. It comes with both fine and ultra-fine filters, which was important to me. In the end, it was $10 more than the Explorer E30 or Triton PS plus the extra filter (those two models do not come with the second filter). That $10 was worth getting a white/blue color scheme rather than black or black/orange. Call me a diva, but color mattered a bit in this decision since my pool is white gunite with blue specs and blue tile and much of my backyard decor is blue. Ha! Had my only option been black or black/orange immediately, I would have done so. No way I am going through trying to manually clean my pool for a second summer--just too much dust, dirt, and pollen where I live to do that again. But for $10 to get blue and white? You betcha!

So my as of yet unnamed robot baby is on its way! Can't wait to put it to work earning its keep next week. I held off on the caddy, which I still think I may want but that will be $150 now or later and I expect the first month or so, the robot will be living in the pool getting and keeping it pristine as we navigate the crazy spring weather in North Texas. (Side note: if anyone has an unused or gently used caddy for Dolphin robots that is just taking up space and might like to unload it for a reasonable price, message me and maybe we can make a deal!)

I will update with any changes after receiving it and certainly once I have used it for a while. But I just wanted to make sure my record was straight after a great experience dealing with Seth and the folks at Marina! Yes, it took a few extra calls but in the end, the price was excellent, the assistance was friendly and patient, and I feel like I am dealing with someone who will be there if I do have issues. As others have stated, phone calls are the way to go. Keep trying. They will get back to you. Obviously, they are not some hidden secret anymore, so, especially this time of year with pools opening across the US and ongoing stock supply issues for these products, they are dealing with an overwhelming number of calls and emails.

Now I have to figure out my salt chlorinator dilemma. But that will have to wait until at least June. Between this, $300 for a new trimmer/edger (mine died over the weekend), $600 for replacement boards and stain for my fence, and four family birthdays plus Mother's day in May, the bank of Pablo is tapped out!

Happy pooling everyone and a special shout-out to Newdude for encouraging me to remain diligent with Marina.

 

[Newdude]

These own eyes have now read one MORE post from a reputable member claiming the payoff for reaching a Marina employee was worth the effort.

I am thrilled that you report the streak continues. Keep us posted.

 

[cowboycasey]

Seth and Margaret are really great to work with..

 

[DencoPaul]

Another update:

New Pentair Prowler 920 arrived yesterday but it was spitting rain off and on all day and by the time it cleared, I was primed for Mavs-Jazz Game 5.

So after work today, the new toy went for its first swim. So far so good, it is about halfway into its first cycle and cleaning up a storm. No complaints and I can already feel my blood pressure settling knowing that I will not be manually vacuuming the pool any longer!

 

[Sunlvr]

I emailed and called Marina Pool Spa & Patio with no response. Finally gave up and bought an Explorer 30 on Amazon. Maybe Marina Pool Spa & Patio is so good at what they do they just can't handle the amount of people emailing/calling but with no response and a desperate need for a new robot, I had to move on. I hope I can get warranty work if I have problems with my new robot.