My Dolphin: Now I'm getting rid of it

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Originally Posted by hzz

I think the point of this thread is not that the Dolphin is a poor cleaner.As Carl said, when it worked it worked well.Any robot can break down.That is not the issue.The issue is the extremely poor service he has recieved from Smartpool. For that reason alone many would shy away from buying the Dolphin and I would agree with them.To spend that amount of money and have the unit fail after two years is dissapointing.Not being able to have it repaired is totally unacceptable.

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I couldn't have said it better myself! I was TOTALLY satisified with my Dolphin until it failed, and until the service people at Smart Pool BS'd me!

I am not completely satisfied with the Blue Diamond--I have to remove the ladder and be VERY careful how much cord I give it--it ran over it and chewed up the casing. The svc center told me Diamonds will NOT automatically clean circular or odd-shaped pools--they like rectangles--and the remote is so you MANUALLY control them. Luckily my pool is rectangular. I think the BD is over-priced for what you get, but I hope service is better--they service PoolBusters as well and they were terrific on that.

If I didn't want a cleaner to brush the walls I would have saved my $$$ and continued to use my Polaris 165. With a handful of cotton wadding in the bag it cleans quite well, and Polaris has been good on service. I brought it out of the basement when the Dolphin failed and it does pretty well. I just need the P/B to get the last little bits and that only takes a minute or two.

I just don't see the point of a robotic if it's not brushing your pool--other automatics will pick up debris nicely.

Why would the Diamond not work well in an odd shaped pool? I would think that since it makes random turns rather than moving in straight lines that it would do well in any shape of pool.

As for your ladder problem - how exactly is the unit getting stuck. Is it squeezing behind the ladder between it and the pool wall? Perhaps you can post a picture of it being stuck and maybe we could give some advice on how to prevent it.

"I just don't see the point of a robotic if it's not brushing your pool--other automatics will pick up debris nicely."

Because it is too late install a Polaris pressure style into my pool without running pipe over the deck. I haven't heard anything good about pressure side cleaners without booster pumps. Suction side put everything into filter and I hear compaints about them all the time too. Both involve having to put a whole bunch of tubing into pool, to the point that people just seem to leave them in all the time. Those type seem like a chore to remove if you want a pool with nothing in it and a neat appearance around pool.

However, I might be interested in any type of cleaner that cleans bottom of pool well, is easy to maintain, is reliable, and is practical with respect to ease of use and taking in and out of pool as needed.

the one thing that I was pleasantly surprised about with the Dolphin was how good a job it did on the waterline.

Each time it climbs the wall at one end of the cycle, the handle sits level with the water line. This forces the cleaner to cock over about 15 degrees and one side of the scrubbing brushes protrude about 1 1/2" above the water line. The drive keeps running so the waterline gets scrubbed for 1 1/2" above to about 3" below. This also causes the unit to run along the waterline a few feet before it reverses and descends. Pretty cool.

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Originally Posted by jimwnola

"I just don't see the point of a robotic if it's not brushing your pool--other automatics will pick up debris nicely."

Because it is too late install a Polaris pressure style into my pool without running pipe over the deck. I haven't heard anything good about pressure side cleaners without booster pumps. Suction side put everything into filter and I hear compaints about them all the time too. Both involve having to put a whole bunch of tubing into pool, to the point that people just seem to leave them in all the time. Those type seem like a chore to remove if you want a pool with nothing in it and a neat appearance around pool.

However, I might be interested in any type of cleaner that cleans bottom of pool well, is easy to maintain, is reliable, and is practical with respect to ease of use and taking in and out of pool as needed.

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The Polaris 165 is a pressure-side cleaner. I don't need a booster pump, and it works fine--to its limit. It's far cheaper than a robotic. Installation consists of changing the return nozzle.

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Originally Posted by cleancloths

Why would the Diamond not work well in an odd shaped pool? I would think that since it makes random turns rather than moving in straight lines that it would do well in any shape of pool.

As for your ladder problem - how exactly is the unit getting stuck. Is it squeezing behind the ladder between it and the pool wall? Perhaps you can post a picture of it being stuck and maybe we could give some advice on how to prevent it.

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I'm telling you what the Blue Diamond service center told me--I can't test it--I don't have anything but a rectangular pool.

It gets stuck UNDER the ladder when it goes up the ramp. Here's a pic I got of the Dolphin by the ladder--this was for Maytronics' viewing. The Dolphin's either taller or shorter so it cannot get stuck under that ladder.

For now, I have to loosen two bolts and lift it out. It's quick and easy but I would prefer not to have to do that.

http://home.earthlink.net/~dashmanc/...mpAtLadder.jpg

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Originally Posted by CarlD

For now, I have to loosen two bolts and lift it out. It's quick and easy but I would prefer not to have to do that.

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Honestly, for $1600 you shouldn't have to. If you were happy with the way the Dolphin cleaned then I would sell the one you have on Ebay and buy another from Costco. This way you'll never have to deal with Maytronics again. If it breaks it's Costco's problem, not yours. This way you still get a great cleaner and save $600 in the process. Just an idea.

I'll probably sell the one I have on eBay anyway. Just have to get off my sofa and do it!

A friend took my Dolphin home to try in his I/G vinyl-lined pool, with a deep-end. He ran it 4 times, all 8 hour cycles and found that the suction really is poor and it had trouble on the sides of his pool too.

I TOLD Smart Pool it was running slowly. They SAID they were going to change out the motor, which is still under warranty, but clearly they didn't. And it's clearly due to a lack of suction. No, it's not the bags--it does this without a bag.

I noticed 2 things: My new Blue Diamond climbs the walls easily, like it's glued to it, and I noticed that when it passed a leaf or other debris on the bottom it didn't even have to run over it suck it up--even from several inches a way. The Dolphin, on the other, will frequently push something out of its way before it gets there--clearly a problem with the vacuuming suction.

Of course, Smart Pool never noticed or fixed this. I'm surprised they don't have a test for it. I would think that would be the FIRST thing they would check. I used to fix sewing machines for extra money as a kid, and the FIRST thing I'd check would be the needle, followed closely by the hook. I can't tell you how interesting it was for a 17 year old kid to tell a lady that her needle was in backwards--one time the lady said "But I've had that machine for 27 years..." 10 years longer than I had been alive. All I could say was: "Ma'am, somehow the needle still was in backwards."

The difference is I gave her back a WORKING machine!

I am now in my 4th season with my Aquabot Turbo. Still working great. The front brush developed a crack in the second season, and after I contacted customer support, they sent me a new one that arrived within a week. No charge! I'm still using the original bag too. I run it once a week for about 6 hours. I am so glad I bought it instead of the Dolphin. And I know I won't be doing any business with Smart Pool after reading this thread. Customer service is becoming a thing of the past with a lot of companies. Take the money and run. I for one am a faithful customer when I am treated right.