Dolphin Dynamic - Frustrating Experience

I purchased the Dolphin Dynamic several weeks ago after reading several positive reviews here and elsewhere. For a product that costs more than $1000, I find it pretty frustrating that it gets stuck on the pool drain on every cycle, making it pretty much unusable. I have learned that this is a known problem with the product. Yet the manufacturer fails to note on the box or in product literature that the product will only work with pools that do not have raised pool drains, a pretty common item found in American pools. I had several exchanges with Maytronics and SmartPool (US Distributor). They are firm in requiring the customer to PURCHASE rings or ramps (at > $50 a piece) for the pool drains to solve a problem with their product. For me, this is unacceptable that I need to make an additional purchase and leaves me with a feeling that if there were any other serious problems, that I could expect the same type of support. I will return the Dolphin Dynamic and try a cleaner from another manufacturer.

I just purchased one also and am still awaiting delivery.

Sorry for your experience....I hate spending money on things just to see it not work :(

I think you are going to run into this problem with Any automatic cleaner. Raised drains are an obstacle and its a very common problem. I've seen it discussed on many cleaners sites and I dont even have a raised drain.

I had this problem also. My drains are just high enough to bottom out the Dolphin and it would get stuck 3 or 4 times per cleaning :mad:. Sometimes I'd push it off one drain and it would go straight to the other and get stuck again! I ended up buying 2 Polaris drain covers for $60 each. I hated paying the price, but at least now I can throw the Dolphin in the pool overnight knowing it's not going to get stuck! And as Tredge said, almost all cleaners can have this problem ...especially the robot cleaners.

Last year after reading many great reviews on the Dolphin, I bit the bullet and bought one. To be honest, it is the worst money that I have spent on pool equipment.

Mine will run over the drains without getting stuck, but the drains are just high enough that it throws off the pattern that the Dolphin is running. So, it will stay in the deep end all day unless I stay with it and move it around by the cord.

My pool has radius corners, which really causes problems for the Dolphin.

Knowing what I know now, I'd have kept my money and stuck to vaccuuming the old fashion way. I can vac in 45 minutes, I'll spend 2 hours guiding the stupid Dolphin around the pool.

Mine ran GREAT for almost 2 years. Now it's sick and they are telling me it's fine--I'll see tomorrow if they change their tune.

Isn't it amazing how one "Aw, NUTS!" can undo 100 "Atta Boy!"s???

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Originally Posted by CarlD

Isn't it amazing how one "Aw, NUTS!" can undo 100 "Atta Boy!"s???

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I got a feeling there are more "Aw, NUTS!" customers out there you just haven't heard from.

I really believe that in the right pools with nice flat surfaces all around, the machine will do an excellent job. I'm just disappointed in the way it travels in my pool. I'll be the first to admit, the areas that it cleans are spotless.

From a buyer's point of view, I spent $1000 on a machine that doubles the amount of time it take to clean my pool.

I agree that this cleaner would probably work well on a pool with a flat bottom, without too steep a transistion to the deep end, with not too many curves, and no other obstacles like ladders. Mine continually gets stuck on the drains. But I have moved it off the drains and watched it for 1/2 hour segments move back and forth over the same swath of pool between my ladder and the opposite side. I agree that if you babysit it and continually move it around, get it unstuck, etc, it probably does a decent job of vacuuming. But then it's not an automatic pool cleaner, it's semi-automatic. Does anyone know if the Aquabot is more adept with obstacles than the Dolphin, or if there exist any other automatic pool cleaners that are more adept. I think that much of my disappointment is the letdown after reading all of the positive reviews. I expected to drop it in the pool and take it out 4 (or 6 or 8) hours later with a clean pool. Instead I think that I now dedicate more time to pool cleaning that I did with manual cleaning.

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Originally Posted by flyingsquirrel

But I have moved it off the drains and watched it for 1/2 hour segments move back and forth over the same swath of pool between my ladder and the opposite side. I agree that if you babysit it and continually move it around, get it unstuck, etc, it probably does a decent job of vacuuming. But then it's not an automatic pool cleaner, it's semi-automatic. Does anyone know if the Aquabot is more adept with obstacles than the Dolphin, or if there exist any other automatic pool cleaners that are more adept. I think that much of my disappointment is the letdown after reading all of the positive reviews. I expected to drop it in the pool and take it out 4 (or 6 or 8) hours later with a clean pool. Instead I think that I now dedicate more time to pool cleaning that I did with manual cleaning.

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My thoughts exactly.

I can't speak for all cleaners, but I have an Aquabot Turbo and love it. I drop it in the pool at night and wake up to a beautiful sparkling pool. The only problem I have ever had is it got caught in the power cord once.