Is newer worth the upgrade?

idreamblu625

Silver Supporter
Aug 8, 2023
16
Elgin/IL
Pool Size
27500
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Liquid Chlorine
Hello Pool friends, I moved in a few years ago and the pool is 20 or so years old and this is my pool cleaner that came with. Now its not broken, and I have replaced the filter, it really does a decent job cleaning the bottom. That said my pool is inground, with a roughly 11ft deep end. This thing tries doing walls but in a sad way like maybe it gets up a foot and then falls. My system has mostly been replaced but I struggle being able to effectively vacuum well. I would like to know anyone's experience with an older cleaner vs a recent model in the $1,000 budget range that I would primarily invest in if you think new ones could go up the walls effectively cause its also a pain scrubbing that low I just broke a nice pole trying at the end of the season. Also skimming the water is not an important feature as I don't have hardly any trees.

Thanks!


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Hello Pool friends, I moved in a few years ago and the pool is 20 or so years old and this is my pool cleaner that came with. Now its not broken, and I have replaced the filter, it really does a decent job cleaning the bottom. That said my pool is inground, with a roughly 11ft deep end. This thing tries doing walls but in a sad way like maybe it gets up a foot and then falls. My system has mostly been replaced but I struggle being able to effectively vacuum well. I would like to know anyone's experience with an older cleaner vs a recent model in the $1,000 budget range that I would primarily invest in if you think new ones could go up the walls effectively cause its also a pain scrubbing that low I just broke a nice pole trying at the end of the season. Also skimming the water is not an important feature as I don't have hardly any trees.

Thanks!


View attachment 634610
They are all basically the same new or old. But you really shouldn’t be having to scrub the walls very much anyway if you are maintaining the FC/CYA levels well. I think I only brush once or twice a season and don’t find much difference before and after.
 
625,

It it ain't broke, don't fix it... :mrgreen:

But, when you do, you should go with the EVO...

See this review..


Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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They are all basically the same new or old. But you really shouldn’t be having to scrub the walls very much anyway if you are maintaining the FC/CYA levels well. I think I only brush once or twice a season and don’t find much difference before and after.
I really don't but in July when Algae becomes more of an issue it creeps around 5ft up from the 11ft deepened. I am absolutely capable of scrubbing the sides but I bought $100 pole last year that broke in half from trying to get it down there. It goes but when ya have to put pressure on the pole even the nice ones are hard to hold up apparently :(
 
I am absolutely capable of scrubbing the sides but I bought $100 pole last year that broke in half from trying to get it down there. It goes but when ya have to put pressure on the pole even the nice ones are hard to hold up apparently :(
+1. I snapped the cheapo one the builder gave me in a couple months. I went down there and told them to order me one that their service guys used. They gave me a skimlite 5008. It's sturdy as a rock and also very light. 10 years later the plastic locking mechanism broke and I went with protuff and an amazing pole is a disappointment because it's very heavy and bows when pushing in the deep end. Half the time I'm still using the skimlite with the broken clip. Lol.
 
I really don't but in July when Algae becomes more of an issue it creeps around 5ft up from the 11ft deepened. I am absolutely capable of scrubbing the sides but I bought $100 pole last year that broke in half from trying to get it down there. It goes but when ya have to put pressure on the pole even the nice ones are hard to hold up apparently :(
The guys above have the best advise. Needing to scrub algae means your chlorine/stabilizer ratio is out of whack.
 
I have that same Dolphin cleaner. I think it's about 7 years old, got it used last year.

Mine will climb all the way to the waterline in our pool. If yours doesn't, may want to check if treads or the foam grips on the rollers need replacing.

I can't really fault how it cleans. Leaves my pool all but spotless and scrubs much better than my Polaris 280. The main disadvantage vs newer robots is the fiddly bottom-loading filters. Newer robots with the one big top-loading chamber are more convenient.

Not sure what I'll replace this one with when it dies. Seems a lot of discussion on this forum of premature failures of newer Dolphin robots, but for every person experiencing an issue there are probably many satisfied customers.