Maytronics (Dolphin) reliability has become ridiculously bad - what are the best, most reliable alternatives?

[bigun]

I ordered a Pentair Warrior SE (Dolphin S200) from Marina in April 2020, and was able to keep it running with periodic maintenance until this month. Based on the symptoms, it appears I would need a new motor assembly.

This was my first robot, and I bought Dolphin/Maytronics because they were supposed to be reliable, "built like a tank", etc.

From reading these forums, the reliability of recent Dolphin robots is horrid, and I was actually lucky to get 3.5 years out of mine. Most it seems are failing earlier.

I feel like a sucker. This company has been building robots for how long? Apparently the older ones lasted 10 years or so. Now it seems they have "perfected" a design that lasts barely longer than the 2 year warranty. With basically every motor failing in such a short window, you would think they would have an improved motor design ready for replacement, and that these improved motor assembly replacements would be plentiful and priced reasonably for customer goodwill. Nope. Not plentiful, no improved design, not reasonably priced.

Out of principle, I do NOT want throw my money at this company (Maytronics) again. It's either a shady attempt to increase profits, or crappy engineering without making any attempt to "make it right" with customers. Either way, I don't want to patronize this company!

With that lead in - what is a robot that has a proven history of lasting at least 7-10 years? I don't mind doing routine maintenance and replacing parts as needed.

Another question - I'm very surprised there isn't more outrage against these business practices, and that people continue to recommend and purchase these Dolphin units. Why?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[Newdude]

With that lead in - what is a robot that has a proven history of lasting at least 7-10 years? I don't mind doing routine maintenance and replacing parts as needed.

I've been stalking all the reports myself and haven't seen anything that gets me off the fence yet. I'd be ok with 5 to 7 seasons, even with mine being so short, but lately that's been a stretch at best.

Another question - I'm very surprised there isn't more outrage against these business practices, and that people continue to recommend and purchase these Dolphin units. Why?

Members experiences have been well documented here. Everyone has their own threshold if it's worth the costs/risks, but none of us are championing any brands at the moment. Offsite, YMMV.

 

[djpool21]

I would love to have a good robot but that’s why I continue stick with my Kreepy Krauly/Legend pressure side cleaner. 3 years old and only minor replacement of wear items. I don’t love it but no great alternatives.

 

[Mdragger88]

My motto is that none of them will last so consider that when deciding on the budget. They are electronic objects that stay submerged- its not a recipe for longevity.
For this reason I went with a refurbished model to save some coin & make the roi worth it to me.
My credit card extends the warranty by a year so no more risk than buying new.
Depending upon how long mine lives (currently at the end of its 3rd season)
it’s replacement might be a dolphin or possibly one of the cheaper cordless bots (aiper/wybot). The market is definitely changing but not sure that building longer lasting bots is on anyone’s to do list at the moment. All the manufacturers seem to be focusing on features.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Big,

Check out this review... New EVO 614i Robot Pool Cleaner Review

That said, I have no idea how long it will last. Only time will tell..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[SJPoe]

This post seems very apropos...given my Dolphin just decided to quit on me today.

I inherited it from the previous owner, but best I can tell its not much more than 4-5 years old. It worked great, until today when it wont pass its self-test. I opened it up, nothing I can see stuck or blocked, everything clear and firmly attached - impeller spins up, blows water out, motors move...then nada. A new motor unit is $400+, $100 for a new cable, a brand new E20 is $600. None of them can be here before Friday when the pool gets closed.

it’s replacement might be a dolphin or possibly one of the cheaper cordless bots (aiper/wybot).

I mean, how much 'technology' is really in these things ? It's a pump, drive, couple of position sensors and a basket. Struggling to see what the difference really is between the $250 Aiper, and the $1600 Dolphin - especially given the seeming lack of reliability.

The new features just seem like 'How can we justify the extra $1000 dollars we're charging? Wooo... you can steer your robot from your phone !!'
Why ? Why would I want to steer it ? I don't want to clean the pool manually. I don't really want to do anything. That's why I bought a fracking robot in the first place. Less work for me, cheaper than a pool boy.
I want to put it in the water, press a button and come back in a few hours to a clean floor. Same as my robot vacuum in the house (which is now going on 5 years without issue...although it doesn't swim...)

For sure, they are a luxury item, and I don't really need one, but a bit like a microwave...once you've had one, it's hard to image NOT having one.

Of course, I don't really want to buy one today and have it sit in the shed for the first 6 months of its warranty period before I find out it's useless...
*sigh* I guess I have to go pull out the hoses and poles and vacuum manually now...couldn't have waited 3 more fracking days...

 

[Bperry]

This post seems very apropos...given my Dolphin just decided to quit on me today.

I inherited it from the previous owner, but best I can tell its not much more than 4-5 years old. It worked great, until today when it wont pass its self-test. I opened it up, nothing I can see stuck or blocked, everything clear and firmly attached - impeller spins up, blows water out, motors move...then nada. A new motor unit is $400+, $100 for a new cable, a brand new E20 is $600. None of them can be here before Friday when the pool gets closed.


I mean, how much 'technology' is really in these things ? It's a pump, drive, couple of position sensors and a basket. Struggling to see what the difference really is between the $250 Aiper, and the $1600 Dolphin - especially given the seeming lack of reliability.

The new features just seem like 'How can we justify the extra $1000 dollars we're charging? Wooo... you can steer your robot from your phone !!'
Why ? Why would I want to steer it ? I don't want to clean the pool manually. I don't really want to do anything. That's why I bought a fracking robot in the first place. Less work for me, cheaper than a pool boy.
I want to put it in the water, press a button and come back in a few hours to a clean floor. Same as my robot vacuum in the house (which is now going on 5 years without issue...although it doesn't swim...)

For sure, they are a luxury item, and I don't really need one, but a bit like a microwave...once you've had one, it's hard to image NOT having one.

Of course, I don't really want to buy one today and have it sit in the shed for the first 6 months of its warranty period before I find out it's useless...
*sigh* I guess I have to go pull out the hoses and poles and vacuum manually now...couldn't have waited 3 more fracking days...

You should not pay $1600 for a robot no matter who makes it. Electronic robots clean better than the old pressure side cleaners but don’t appear to last as long. I’ve had mine going for three years now so I hope it lasts another year or two as that would put the average cost at about $200/year that I don’t have to sweep leaves so even if it’s expensive it’s better than doing it manually.

 

[Hootz]

I realized before I bought my warrior se that there was no robot that would be trouble free. I had a suction kreepy krawly and it performed poorly...always covered the same areas and didn't clean all of the pool. I have gone on record here that robots are not the magic bullet...all eventually fail unexpectedly early. If my pool had an extra line to the pool wall I would consider a polaris pressure cleaner....but I don't really have a good option except a robot cleaner or manual vacuuming....so I will pay the pool cleaner tax for now.
Incidentally so far I have had good luck with the warrior but I do not leave it in the water unless cleaning and then remove it. I usually run the cleaner only once a week but my liner floor is dark and doesn't show every speck of dirt.

 

[Mdragger88]

So far mine had lasted me 3 “pool years” for $500 - so $166 each season for a clean pool every single day. Not terrible if you compare to paying someone for sure.
If it goes 4 that’s $125/yr,
5 that’s $100/yr.
Definitely more of a luxury item but hey, so are pools.
I sure don’t miss fighting with hoses. I agree that once you’ve had a hands off pool cleaner you certainly don’t wanna be without one!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I went back to a suction cleaner but I have a dedicated wall port for attaching it to the suction side of the pool plumbing and I can automate it's valve. I basically did an $1100 experiment 6+ years ago when I bought the S300i that proved it's no better than my suction cleaner, or, it's not "better enough" to justify the cost. My suction cleaner would cost around $250 to replace just the head and I plan to go with a Rebel V2 when next I feel like replacing my KK Sandshark. I have all the hoses and in-line leaf canisters. So I can spend $250 every 2-3 years for a brand new suction cleaner or around $200 every year for a electronic robot cleaner .... I'll stick with suction thank you very much.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

And I get poo-poo'd all the time when I'm in the construction subform telling people to add a dedicated suction line to their pool builds ... "my PB says it's not necessary..." , "why do I need it if I never plan to use it ..." , "that's old school cleaner technology, why would I add that ..." , "sounds like a waste of money ..." , "I'm spending money on my pool so I DON'T HAVE TO MANUALLY VACUUM ... why would I want that ..." , etc, etc, etc.

Then the inevitable algae bloom happens or a storm blows a ton of garbage into their pool or their robot breaks and they have NO WAY to manually clean their pools easily ... that's when my schadenfreude reward kicks in and I think to myself "I told you sooooo..." as I'm reading their whiny post ...

 

[Mdragger88]

Yes always have a backup plan even if you have a bot or some other kind of cleaner!

 

[bigun]

Thanks for the responses. Some further ranting below:

Everyone has their own threshold if it's worth the costs/risks, but none of us are championing any brands at the moment.

Noted. I haven't been on the forums recently. I guess this is old news for most people.

none of them will last so consider that when deciding on the budget. They are electronic objects that stay submerged- its not a recipe for longevity.

Understood, but it's a solvable problem. Maytronics seems to have had reliable designs in the past. Most seem to acknowledge that their robot lifespan is considerably worse now than it ever was. I suppose the bean counters would consider this as "progress".

If this were a temporary design or manufacturing issue (mistakes happen), a reputable company would acknowledge the issue and make some attempt to make it right with customers. Not saying they should hand out a free motor assembly, just provide replacement parts at something less than 1000% markup.

Check out this review... New EVO 614i Robot Pool Cleaner Review

That said, I have no idea how long it will last. Only time will tell..

If I go with another robot, will likely try this. Would rather support an upstart company that is trying to figure it out, vs. supporting one that has figured out how to screw customers and ensure their products go to the landfill shortly after the warranty expires.

I mean, how much 'technology' is really in these things ? It's a pump, drive, couple of position sensors and a basket.

Agreed. These things are primitive by any modern product standards.

I realized before I bought my warrior se that there was no robot that would be trouble free.

Back in 2020, I thought the prevailing opinion was that Dolphin units were built to last. Maybe it was wishful thinking on my part.

So far mine had lasted me 3 “pool years” for $500 - so $166 each season for a clean pool every single day. Not terrible if you compare to paying someone for sure.

I understand that many are "doing the math" and concluding that it's worth it to buy a robot that lasts 2-3 years, then send it to the landfill and buy another.

Personally, I hate the waste - not just the $$, but the needless time spent trying to fix a bad robot, discovering there is no viable repair possible, and researching what to buy next. Also the wasted materials being sent to the landfill, and the waste of manufacturing and shipping a new robot.

I went back to a suction cleaner but I have a dedicated wall port for attaching it to the suction side of the pool plumbing and I can automate it's valve. I basically did an $1100 experiment 6+ years ago when I bought the S300i that proved it's no better than my suction cleaner, or, it's not "better enough" to justify the cost. My suction cleaner would cost around $250 to replace just the head and I plan to go with a Rebel V2 when next I feel like replacing my KK Sandshark. I have all the hoses and in-line leaf canisters. So I can spend $250 every 2-3 years for a brand new suction cleaner or around $200 every year for a electronic robot cleaner .... I'll stick with suction thank you very much.

I do have a suction wall port, and my valve is automated as well. I typically run my pump at low speeds nearly 24x7, but I will consider transitioning back to a suction cleaner if I can't find a reliable/repairable robot.

Thanks again for the feedback, and for entertaining the rant

 

[Bperry]

And I get poo-poo'd all the time when I'm in the construction subform telling people to add a dedicated suction line to their pool builds ... "my PB says it's not necessary..." , "why do I need it if I never plan to use it ..." , "that's old school cleaner technology, why would I add that ..." , "sounds like a waste of money ..." , "I'm spending money on my pool so I DON'T HAVE TO MANUALLY VACUUM ... why would I want that ..." , etc, etc, etc.

Then the inevitable algae bloom happens or a storm blows a ton of garbage into their pool or their robot breaks and they have NO WAY to manually clean their pools easily ... that's when my schadenfreude reward kicks in and I think to myself "I told you sooooo..." as I'm reading their whiny post ...

Do those work differently than the skimmer based suction cleaning hose+head?

 

[wireform]

Manufacturers do that purposely when a product was made too well and live on to the point that spare parts aren't sought after that much. Case in point some 40 years ago I had a Panasonic portable cassette player which was ballistic and just wouldn't drop dead. I decided one day back then time for a second one so I went back to buy another one and they tell me discontinued. I looked at the guy like what? I said why would they do something like that to a good product and he says to me that's the point it was made too good and not enough return customers for it. He hands me a new model of it with more or less the same dimensions but half the weight, here this is it.

 

[Jimrahbe]

All,

Pro or Con, it does not matter.. But, let's stick to whether we like them or not, and why..

Let's skip all the rants, manufacturing conspiracy theories, and the fact that they don't build them like you would.

We should evaluate what is available and discuss what works and does not work.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Do those work differently than the skimmer based suction cleaning hose+head?

In my opinion, skimmer plates and diverter valves are a pain in the rear end and they essentially wipe out the skimmer function. A wall port allows you to connect a suction cleaner and leave it in the pool 24/7 to clean. Usually the wall port is a separate line all the way back to the pad where there is a control valve that’s either a shutoff valve or the cleaner line and skimmer are tied together with a three way valve. My setup is the later type which is not something I would do again (knew nothing the first go around). It’s better to have all suction sources tied together in a manifold before the pump and then use independent shutoff valves to control flow. In any case, a wall port allows you the convenience of leaving a cleaner in the pool all the time without compromising the function of a skimmer.

 

[bigun]

Let's skip all the rants, manufacturing conspiracy theories, and the fact that they don't build them like you would.

We should evaluate what is available and discuss what works and does not work

Fair enough.
You wrote a great, thorough review on the EVO BTW, thank you for that!

 

[Newdude]

Back in 2020

I look at all products these days as either pre or post shortages. The stuff that came out during the shortages was lucky if it even turned on the first time. Lol.

Dodge won an award/study recently for having the fewest problems needing a dealer in the first year. It was something like 117 out of 100 vehicles.......... more than 1 each in the first year. Obviously some had no problems, but for every one of those, another vehicle had 2 problems needing the dealer in thr first year. Some vehicle manufacturers averaged over 2 problems per vehicle needing the dealer. Factory duds / lemons are just a way of life these days across many industries.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I think it’s less “manufacturing issues” and more design paradigm and market desire. The fact is - TFP is full of pool-nerds. As a buddy of mine at work used to like to say - “we are NOT the norm…”. Most pool owners want stuff that just works and if it stops working they just want to toss it in the trash and get Amazon to deliver them a new one by “free Next Day delivery”. They can’t be bothered fixing stuff or even driving 4 miles down the road to the pool store to get something fixed. So Maytronics manufactures stuff to meet their cost and revenue targets and then warranties whatever they make to satisfy the consumer. 2 to 3 years is about what most consumers will think is a “good run” for a chunk of plastic with motors in it.

For the OP with whom I share the opinion about these robots, it’s clear that the cost/utility function is sub-optimal. So the answer is to find a different cleaner or a different cleaning method.