Help me decide which Dolphin Maytronics robot to buy !

FrancoRagusa

In The Industry
Jun 19, 2024
3
California
Hello ! Could you help me which Dolphin Maytronics to buy ? I am thinking about Dolphin s200 - s400i - M400 - M600 or some other you think is best for my 2 pools. I am leaning towards s400i. I am still vacuuming pool by using manual vacuum attached to the side with a hose which suction is provided by pump for circulation but I must redirect flow from filtration to vacuuming, anyway it is a hassle and takes 1 hour to clean the pool. I do it once a week, suction is really strong and it can pick up even small rocks. I have two pools, one bigger and other one smaller. Bigger one is about 22 000 gallons, a bit smaller if you don’t include massage tub above the pool. Half of the pool is 5.2 feet and other half is 6.5 feet, meaning there is also a small decline going into deeper end of the pool. Pool has stairs, and drains on the bottom. I understand I would need to brush stairs because robot is not so good on them which is fine. My main concern is those drains, I don’t want robot to be stuck on them or not cleaning properly and paying something 1000-2000 $ and doing it manually after him. I guess s200 is the same robot as s 300i and s400i but with more technology, programs, and caddy etc…what do you think ? I will provide pictures below so you can see what I mean. I also question suction power from those robots, which one would be the best but also would s200 do the job ? Is that extra features even needed ? One thing I like is the option to clean floor only because from reading a lot of forums people say that walls and waterline cleaning is not so good so why waste cycle time on them and those stuff is rarely dirty in my pool, pool chemicals takes care of that, floor is the problem. When robot is cleaning the floor how he knows which path he already crossed ? Or he just randomly goes on the floor ? Pool is made of little tiles, glass/ceramic type. I hope you guys can understand problem I am facing and that you can help me ! Thank you !
 

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FR,

You should check out the EVO..


That said, it does not look like you have the type of floor drains that robots get stuck on.

None of them really know where they are in your pool, it is mostly marketing.. They do a pretty good job of just roaming around and getting everything.

You really do not get much extra when you step up to the more expensive models with all the 'magic' electronics.. They all clean about the same.

I have been using Robots for many years and love them... but... They only tend to last 3 to 5 years before they die... Because of this I think of them like a tube of toothpaste.. You use it up, and then buy another one.

The latest Dolphin robots seem to have a shorter lifespan than the older modes.. That is one of the reasons that I have moved over to using the EVO.

No matter what robot you end up buying, you really want to talk with Margaret at Marina pool and spa, before you buy anywhere else..

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
FR,

You should check out the EVO..


That said, it does not look like you have the type of floor drains that robots get stuck on.

None of them really know where they are in your pool, it is mostly marketing.. They do a pretty good job of just roaming around and getting everything.

You really do not get much extra when you step up to the more expensive models with all the 'magic' electronics.. They all clean about the same.

I have been using Robots for many years and love them... but... They only tend to last 3 to 5 years before they die... Because of this I think of them like a tube of toothpaste.. You use it up, and then buy another one.

The latest Dolphin robots seem to have a shorter lifespan than the older modes.. That is one of the reasons that I have moved over to using the EVO.

No matter what robot you end up buying, you really want to talk with Margaret at Marina pool and spa, before you buy anywhere else..

Thanks,

Jim R.
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. I just read your post and it looks interesting.

I own pool for about 8 years but never used robots now so they are completely new area for me.

Did you have any problems in the past with s200 (active200) ?
 
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. I just read your post and it looks interesting.

I own pool for about 8 years but never used robots now so they are completely new area for me.

Did you have any problems in the past with s200 (active200) ?
I have the Maytronics S200 for 7 years now still working and meeting my needs. I only use it once a week for 5 months of the year.
 
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