VRX iQ+ ...ready to click! ???

[Don_S]

After just returning the Dolphin Sigma to the retailer, I am on the verge of purchasing the Polaris VRX iQ+ . My concern is the disappointment I experienced with the Dolphin Sigma. I have a pebble finish free-form in ground pool. The Sigma had no idea where it was and just kept cleaning the same paths. It went up to the waterline to scrub in maybe 3 places only. I was so completely unimpressed and tried all of the "tips and tricks" sent to me, but this was just not going to be the robotic cleaner for my pool.

My fear is this is the experience with any robot. I don't want to spend hours cleaning up after the robot. If that is the case, a water pressure pool cleaner with regular vacuuming would be as good.

I have read most threads here about the Alpha+ and the VRX iQ+, but does anyone have more thoughts after longer experience with your cleaners?

Thanks!
Don

 

[tcat]

Idiot Quotient, plus what?

 

[Toxophilite]

I've had mine for 6 months. I have had no complaint with coverage of entire pool. Sometimes I do questions it's logic, but I really don't have hours to sit and watch it for a full cycle, so like watching pot of water boiling, without me watching it's every move, it does it's job.

 

[Don_S]

I've had mine for 6 months. I have had no complaint with coverage of entire pool. Sometimes I do questions it's logic, but I really don't have hours to sit and watch it for a full cycle, so like watching pot of water boiling, without me watching it's every move, it does it's job.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Don,

None of them actually "know" where they are, or the shape of your pool.

I have the cheaper Dolphin S200 and it will get everything 9 times out of 10. If I have just one dime sized leave in the bottom of my pool, and I am watching, it will never pick it up. If I go inside for 5 minutes, it will be gone when I get back.

I believe that they all operate just about the same.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The biggest issue with all robots is lifespan. Their internal technology is basically all the same - random walk. The idea that they are “smart” or “scan” your pool is complete marketing nonsense. They may use sensors built into the electronics to know when a motor is drawing more current or a positional sensor to know if the robot is horizontal or vertical but that’s about it. It’s all just a blind random walk.

Buy the cheapest robot you can that seems to have the longest lifespan. These devices are expensive and if they die after a few seasons you will have paid an excessively high price for nothing more than a glorified vacuum cleaner.

Also, there is no perfect cleaner just as there is no perfect pool. All pools require some level of manual vacuuming or leaf raking. You can only minimize it, not do away with it.

 

[Don_S]

Don,

None of them actually "know" where they are, or the shape of your pool.

I have the cheaper Dolphin S200 and it will get everything 9 times out of 10. If I have just one dime sized leave in the bottom of my pool, and I am watching, it will never pick it up. If I go inside for 5 minutes, it will be gone when I get back.

I believe that they all operate just about the same.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Thanks Jim. This is what I was thinking. I appreciate your response.

 

[Don_S]

The biggest issue with all robots is lifespan. Their internal technology is basically all the same - random walk. The idea that they are “smart” or “scan” your pool is complete marketing nonsense. They may use sensors built into the electronics to know when a motor is drawing more current or a positional sensor to know if the robot is horizontal or vertical but that’s about it. It’s all just a blind random walk.

Buy the cheapest robot you can that seems to have the longest lifespan. These devices are expensive and if they die after a few seasons you will have paid an excessively high price for nothing more than a glorified vacuum cleaner.

Also, there is no perfect cleaner just as there is no perfect pool. All pools require some level of manual vacuuming or leaf raking. You can only minimize it, not do away with it.

Thanks JN, I think you are right on. Every time I see the marketing hype about "learning your pool" I think of how misleading that is. There is just nothing on board capable of that. I guess only advantage is running a cycle then putting the cleaning equipment away out of sight. I'm accepting the fact that I will be brushing regularly anyway, especially in the hot summer months. I'm lucky to have fairly clean pool (except spring eucalyptus leaf season). I appreciate your insight.

 

[darkrider]

After a season of use, I've been very happy with our Alpha IQ+. I think it's smarter than some give it credit for, as it definitely is processing things like the general shape of the pool, depth, and where our benches and tanning ledge are. The first 3-5X that I ran it in smart cycle, it had longer cleaning times, and followed a notably different pattern every time. I always drop it in at the same place, and regardless of orientation, it will always go forward until it hits a wall, turn around a full 180 degrees and go back until it hits another wall. That seems to be how it figures out orientation (likely measuring distance), and starts the pattern. Now, it follows the same pattern every time, and the cleaning time has gone down by about 30 minutes from where it started (consistently 2 hours and 9 minutes). Another thing I noticed, is that it does the walls and waterline tile differently in the deep end than it does in the shallow end. My theory is that it likely has a number of pre-programmed patterns depending on the size/shape of the pool, and then uses the sensors to vary whatever program it selects as a best match. Regardless of how smart (or not) it is, it does a heck of a job cleaning! Once a week is all I've needed over the summer to keep the pool clean.

 

[Don_S]

So, as my first post stated, I returned a Dolphin Sigma. Not impressed. Purchased a Polaris VRXiQ+. Was pretty impressed. Pool looked great. Then I noticed the front body was split apart and could not be pushed together.A half inch gap on one side between the upper body and lower body. I know these things spend their lives under water, however, it seemed to me that something split open that shouldn't be would be filled with water, increasing the weight, hampering the robot's ability to climb walls, which it did. Returned and purchased again because I liked it overall. Second VRX arrived and the upper body was not connected to the lower body leaving an odd gap (though not as severely as the previous one). Returned. IMO they are too costly to accept and live with bad manufacturing. Talked to Fluidra (manufacturer) who said it shouldn't be like that.

On a good note, I had purchased online and returned to local store. Process couldn't be easier and customer service was great at Leslies. But here I am, left with my aged Haywood Navigator creeping along the pool bottom doing what little it can. I am rereading all of the posts and comments on this subject, once again trying to find my perfect robotic cleaner. Any additional input will be greatly appreciated. Thank you to everyone who contributed.