Robotic Vacs for IG Pool- Good and Bad Experiences Please

[George in Georgia]

This web site has some good info on robots, and also some hints for repairing the Diagnostic Dolphin: http://www.i-love-my-aquabot-automat...com/index.html

I can give you a users' report on the Dolphin. We bought one about 5 or 6 years ago. For some time all was well; it climbed the walls, it vacuumed, it dusted, it polished. However, about 2 years after we bought it the strain relief on the power supply gave way. I opened the power supply (the horror!) and determined that replacing the plastic fitting wouldn't be beyond my abilities, if I had the fitting. Maytronics, the Dolphin's momma, refused to sell me the fitting, told me I should send the ENTIRE unit to them, at my expense, of course. They said they'd update software, etc.

About $60 shipping each way, my dime both ways, plus about $150 for Maytronics' expertise the Dolphin returned with the strain relief fixed, plus a float added to the supply cord about 2 feet from the robot. This, I was told, was to insure that Dolph wouldn't trip over the cord. Problem is, now even with the floats on the handle removed Dolph's wall climbing is but a shadow of its former self.

Early this summer I noticed that the flexible clear plastic cover over the power supply switch was deteriorating. An extensive net search located one, with a $25 minimum order for a $3 part. I called the local Diagnostic distributor in the Atlanta area, and was told that the design of the cover had been changed, so shipping the power supply might be necessary. After a little whining and pouting on my part, they located a cover (on someone's desk?) and sent it to me gratis.

At one point Dolph had thrown a tread. I used the above site and took off the side plates and removed .... a plastic shard from one of those really flimsy little pots that bedding plants come in. The plastic was barely thicker than 30 pound paper! Nasty job undoing Dolph, I left some blood behind, and I've done car clutch jobs, etc.

Long story short, I doubt we'd buy another Dolphin. YMMV, of course.

[CarlD]

I loved my Dolphin until it failed in its 3rd year--and I had to deal with the nightmare of Maytronics.

When my newest Blue Diamond failed, I dropped it off at the repair depot in Cedar Grove, NJ. Two days later it was on my doorstep, fixed perfectly, at NO cost to me. Their service blows Dolphin's out of the water and into the Gobi Desert!