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Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Dolphin Nautilus Review

The Dolphin Nautilus by Maytronics is one of the most popular robotic pool cleaners in the USA. Designed for all types of in-ground pools, the Nautilus is a fully automatic pool cleaning solution and tackles the bottom, wall and even the water-line with ease.

Instead of using a conventional pool filter bag, the Nautilus uses a cartridge that can be removed and cleaned with ease.

Let’s learn more about this highly acclaimed pool cleaner.

dolphin nautilus robotic pool cleaner

Dolphin Nautilus Features:

1) The pool cleaner is visually pleasing but it does not look imposing by any stretch of the imagination. It certainly doesn’t seem laden with features at first glance. However, as it is said, don’t judge a book by its cover. The Nautilus comes packed with loads of goodies that give it a definite edge over most robots in its category. Instead of having wheels, the bot has heavy duty rolling brushes that scrub the pool surface constantly as the device moves.

2) The Nautilus is equipped with a very powerful pump that can filter up to a whopping 4230 gallons of water per hour. This means that it does not require any sort of booster pump. In fact, you don’t need to connect it to anything else except the power supply.

3) Filter cartridges last longer than the dreaded filter bags. They’re also much easier to remove and clean.

4) The Nautilus has very good path-finding ability. It does not get baffled by kidney, round or oval shaped pools. It can scan and operate in almost all types and shapes of in-ground swimming pools. The intelligent scanning system ensures complete coverage and a thorough clean. There are no dirty patches or spots after the bot has completed its cycle. You might also want to note that the Nautilus is not hindered by vinyl or slightly raised drains. The bot functions independently and does not require any supervision on your part.

5) The Nautilus has a 30 Volt power supply with integrated circuits – this helps to keep energy consumption as low as possible. An average cycle of three hours uses up just 15 cents worth of electricity! (This number varies based upon the cost of electricity in your area, amount of dirt in the pool, weight of dirt collected in the cartridge etc.) This Nautilus is powerful yet energy efficient – a very rare combination.

6) The patented 60 foot swivel cable does not get entangled and ensures smooth operation. The length of the cable makes this bot suitable for larger pools with a length of up to 50 feet.

Dolphin Nautilus Pros:

1) The bot weighs less, only about 18 pounds; thus, it is easy to handle and consumes a lesser amount of power. There are side grips so that you can hold, and move the bot without tugging on the cables. The cables too are incredibly hardy and will not lose their shape unless you roll them up and keep them that way for a considerable amount of time.

2) A big plus point is the Nautilus’s ability to climb walls. Many pool cleaners cannot climb walls and this makes them highly impractical, especially for medium to large sized in ground swimming pools. The Nautilus climbs walls and also cleans the waterline. Its nose protrudes slightly above the water as the brushes scrub and vacuum along the waterline.

3) The build quality is pretty solid. Filter cartridges do not get damaged as easily as filter bags. Hence, they need to replaced less often – this brings down the maintenance costs. Also, the cartridges are way easier to remove and clean.

4) The bot is quiet. It does its job without raising any sort of commotion. The powerful pump and the continuously rotating brushes make a potent duo and get rid of algae, dust, dirt, sediment, debris etc. from all types of pool surfaces.

5) Maytronics is a renowned brand. Availability of spares is not a problem. Excellent customer support and after sales service.

Dolphin Nautilus Cons:

1) The bot does not come with its own caddy. This is not a deal breaker as the Nautilus is pretty light. Still, a caddy would have been nice.

2) The bot struggles while going up walls if the filters are loaded with dirt. You have to clean the filters regularly to prevent overloading.

3) The Nautilus does not have very big wheels. Hence, it struggles to transition from the pool floor to walls if the angle is very sharp.

4) Some bots in this price range have a remote control – the Nautilus does not.

Dolphin Nautilus Unboxing and Test (Video)

Verified Customer Reviews from Amazon:

“This thing is awesome! I had a $2000 vacuum like this for 6 years so I was worried about buying this cheaper one but it works better and faster than my old expensive one- hands down well worth the money goes up walls steps picks up big leaves pine needles and then even the little fine stuff like pollen piles on pool floor… hope this review helps ppl but I’m 100% happy with it”

Tony Rattini, Verified Amazon Purchase

Another Customer Review

“I love this pool vacuum. We have a large pool – 20′ x 40′ and 10′ deep in the deep end. We also live in a wooded area surrounded by oak trees. It used to take us 2 hours to vacuum the pool, backwash the pump, etc.

Since we got the Dolphin, it’s a 5-minute set up and a 5- to 7-minute clean up. The Dolphin runs for approximately 2 hours, and picks up lots of bugs, leaves and dirt. Starting it is easy – plug the power box into an outlet, plug the Dolphin into the power box, place the Dolphin in the water, swaying it back and forth to release air bubbles, feed cord into the pool, and turn on the power.

“Avid Reader”, Verified Amazon Purchase

Final Verdict:

The Dolphin Nautilus is a highly capable robotic pool cleaner at a very good price. It does most things right, very few things wrong and comes with the Maytronics Dolphin peace of mind. No wonder it is trusted by thousands.

There are some negative reviews reported on Amazon.com, however most are still quite positive and it has a 4 star review overall. 

Friday, September 29, 2017

Aquabot X4 Review

The Aquabot X4 is a fully automatic robotic pool cleaner that’s suitable for both, in-ground as well as above ground pools.

The X4 is performance and convenience packed into one highly desirable package. However, all this does not come at the cost of efficiency. Aquabot claims that one cleaning cycle costs only 5 cents!

Read on to find out if the X4 is the right fit for your pool.

[See image gallery at roboticpoolcleaner.org]

Aquabot x4 Features:

1) The X4 comes with not one, but two filter baskets with a class-leading capacity of190 cubic inches. Moreover, these are not just ordinary filters; the mesh size is only 2 microns. (A grain of salt is about 100 microns). This means that the X4’s dual filtration system can trap everything from leaves, pebbles, debris, dirt, sediment, mud and so on; leaving your pool cleaner and clearer than ever.

It is worth mentioning that the filters can be accessed from the top. This is fast and convenient. Cleaning the filter baskets is also very easy – just give them a thorough rinse. The fact that the filter bags are large in size means that they can trap a lot of garbage. This is quite useful if the pool has becomes excessively dirty. You will not have to stop mid-cycle to clean out the bags.

2) Only 1% of the pool contaminants are present in the water. The 99% adheres to pool surfaces. Hence, simply filtering the water through a fine mesh does not guarantee an effective clean. All surfaces need to scrubbed thoroughly to loosen the dirt, sediment and algae that is deposited on them. The Aquabot X4 is equipped with heavy duty rotating micro-brushes that ensure that every inch of your pool gets a good scrubbing. The bot cleans everything from floor to walls to even the waterline.

3) AutoX Pool Mapping System: The Aquabot X4 is built for all types of pools of various shapes and sizes. The sophisticated AutoX pool mapping system ensures that it can navigate any type of pool with ease. It measures the approximate dimensions of your swimming pool and selects the most suitable cleaning cycle. Intelligent mapping ensures that the bot never gets stuck at any point. It can tackle stairs, vinyl, drain and other pool fixtures without breaking a sweat.

4) Four Wheel Drive system for superior maneuverability and 100% coverage. The Aquabot X4 is driven by a powerful yet efficient 4WD system. Hence, it can clean any type of pool no matter its shape . The wheels have excellent grip, they provide ample traction and enable the X4 to climb walls and climb steep gradients, including walls, with negligible slippage.

You may have noticed that many pool cleaners are advertised as having pool cleaning ability. However, they require a smooth, curved floor to wall transition. If the transition is not smooth, the bot might not be able to clean the walls and you’ll have to do them yourself. The X4 can do 90 degree floor to wall transitions without any trouble!

5) 60 Feet of highly durable floating cable with a 360 degree swivel. The longer length of cable enables the X4 to take on bigger pools. The swivel feature ensures that the cables do not become entangled. All this ensures 100% unsupervised cleaning. Just place the X4 into the water and power it on – it’ll do everything else on its own.

6) The Aquabot X4 has a powerful pump with a mixing power of 70 gallons per minute. Even though the bot is powerful, it consumes up to 15 times less energy compared to other bots in its class.

7) Easy to use control panels enables you to create and customize cleaning schedules. You can choose to run the bot every 48, 72 or 96 hours and choose between several time cycles. An external timer can also be connected to the X4.

Aquabot X4 Pros

  1. Comes with a handy caddy. This facilitates easy transportation over a variety of terrain.
  2. To say that the build quality is excellent would be an understatement. Hence, it is enough to state the fact that the X4 comes with a not one, not two but THREE year warranty!
  3. Complete pool cleaning at the touch of a button.
  4. Does walls and the waterline.
  5. Very affordable bot considering the quality of clean and the number of features.
  6. Swivel feature prevents entanglement of cables.
  7. Helps protect the environment by reducing the need for cleaning chemicals in the pool.

Aquabot X4 Cons

  1. Sometimes, the bot tends to do a less than perfect job with the stairs.
  2. Does not come with a remote control.

Final Verdict:

The X4 is a superb offering from Aquabot. It’s not perfect, but still – It has won thousands of hearts owing to its versatility, performance ease of use and low cost of ownership and operation.  

Aquabot Pool Rover Jr Review

The Aquabot Pool Rover Junior offers a ‘hose-free’ and pocket-friendly solution to pool cleaning.

It’s been designed for cleaning flat bottomed pools of up to 24 feet diameter in as little as thirty minutes! All this looks very good on paper but how does it all translate to real world performance?

Let’s take a closer look at this one-of-a-kind above ground pool cleaner.

[See image gallery at roboticpoolcleaner.org]

Features of the Aquabot Pool Rover Jr

1) Hose-Free Pool Cleaning: This pool cleaner has an internal pump and filter. It does not require any type of external filtration system or booster pump. This is quite convenient as you do not have to make any modifications to the plumbing system of your pool or property. While several successful pool cleaner such as the Baracuda G3 (by Zodiac) use hoses and external pumps and filters, it is hard to deny that hose-free cleaners are easier to connect and use. You do not have do fiddle around with hose-balance and so on. Just place the Junior into the pool, plug it in and let it do its job!

2) Even though this is the least expensive robotic pool cleaner in the Aquabot stable, it is still very well built. Yes, a majority of the components are made from plastic, but they are high quality plastics that can withstand the pool chemicals as well the UV rays of the Sun. Of course it is not as sturdy as other high end Aquabot models. Still, remember that this is a low cost pool cleaning solution meant only for smaller above ground pools.

3) The Aquabot Pool Rover Jr (PRJ) can clean flat bottomed pools of any shape (round, oval, rectangular, L-shaped, kidney shaped etc.) It is perfectly at home with all types common pool surfaces such as vinyl, fiberglass, tiles, concrete and so on.

4) The Junior’s internal pump is powerful yet efficient. The bot has a mixing capacity of 70 gallons per minute. Don’t let the Junior tag fool you – this robot scrubs and vacuums vigorously and delivers a high quality clean.

5) The advanced filtration system traps everything from leaves, dirt, debris, pebbles, algae to even small bits of plastic. The junior can filter particles upto 2 microns – which is really really good considering that this is an entry level pool cleaner. (1 grain of salt roughly equals to 100 microns). Most other entry level bots don’t even have an independent filtration system; they just funnel the contaminants to an external filter, which is usually your pool’s filter.

The only downside to the Junior’s filter is that it is accessible only from the bottom. Filters that can be accessed from the top are more convenient.

6) The Junior has four extra-wide wheels that provide a good amount of traction and enable it to go over ripples and other small obstacles in the water.

7) The Junior comes with a 40 foot power cable. The patented 360 degree swivel feature prevents the cables from getting entangled. Thus, there are no cases of the bot just spinning in circles or hovering around one place due to the cable wire getting knotted up.

Aquabot Pool Rover Junior Pros

  1. Well built and popular product from a renowned manufacturer – Aquabot. Comes with a one year warranty. (Please note that warranty is limited only to the motor, which is the most expensive component of the bot).
  2. High quality reusable filter has a capacity of 34 quarts and is easy to clean.
  3. Aquabot has a very good after sales support system. Replacement parts and spares are easily available.
  4. The Junior is very easy to use. It has various cycles including a 2 and 3 hour timer.
  5. Powerful yet efficient operation. It shuts down automatically after two hours of operation – this feature prevents it from running unnecessarily and saves energy.
  6. The bot is well built without being overly heavy. It weighs just a little over 10 pounds and this makes it very easy to handle.
  7. The extra-wide leaves do not mar the pool surface nor do they leave any kind of tread marks. The bot has a ground clearance of 2 inches and this enables it go over irregular surfaces, lights, drains and other pool fixtures.

Aquabot Pool Rover Junior Cons

  1. The bot is suitable only for flat bottomed swimming pools. Does not work well in pools with curved or dished out centers.
  2. The bot is not advertised as having any wall climbing ability. Still, the bot may clean the walls partially.

Reviews

Aquabot Pool Rover Junior Final Verdict:  

Honestrly, the Pool Rover JR is a very competent pool cleaning robot, However, it has some limitations. Be prepared to do the walls yourself. Good built quality overall but not as sturdy as other more expensive Aquabot cleaners.  

Be prepared to do the walls yourself, it’s not the BEST climber out there.

We love Good built quality overall, but it’s not as sturdy as other more expensive Aquabot cleaners.  Still, for this price you really can’t go wrong. 

Aquabot Classic Review

The Classic is Aquabot’s best selling robotic pool cleaner and for good reason too. This fully automatic bot is near perfect for in-ground pools. Even though this is a slightly older model, it is loaded with top of the line features. It is powerful, efficient and cleans everything from floor to walls and even the waterline. It has an

[See image gallery at roboticpoolcleaner.org]

This fully automatic bot is near perfect for in-ground pools. Even though this is a slightly older model, it is loaded with top of the line features. It is powerful, efficient and cleans everything from floor to walls and even the waterline. It has an in-built filter and hence you do not have to fiddle with and connect hoses.

Just plug it in, drop into the pool and let the bot work its magic. Let’s dive a little deeper into the features of the Classic.

Aquabot Classic Features

  1. The Classic has active scrubbing brushes both at the front and at the back. These brushes rotate aggressively to scrub and loosen even the most unyielding dirt, algae and sediment. Moreover, they do not leave any scour marks on the pool. The heavy duty active brushes enable the Classic to deliver an impeccable clean – leaving your pool fresh and spotless at all times.
  2. The bot operates in all types of in-ground pools of all shapes; be it round, oval, rectangular, square, L-shaped, kidney and so on. It can clean most pool surfaces such as vinyl, fiberglass, concrete, gunite etc.
  3. The Classic scrubs and vacuums all kinds of debris into its in-built filtration system. An in-built filter does away with the need for hoses that connect to an external filter (usually the pool filter). Hoses come with their own set of problems. Often they get bent and clogged and prevent the bot from moving freely. With the Classic, you don’t need to worry about these issues.
  4. The Aquabot Classic is a complete pool cleaning solution. It cleans the entire pool including the cove, floor, walls and even the waterline. Many pool cleaner do not have the ability to go over pools. They may do an immaculate job with the floor but at the end of the day, you still have to dive in and give the walls a good, honest scrubbing. This option might be feasible for small and shallow above-ground swimming pools, but it just doesn’t work for larger in-ground pools. Cleaning the walls of a medium to large sized pool can take you half day. You’ll need to scrub with your head under water – surely, this is not an experience that you are looking forward to. Even pool cleaners that clean walls do not clean the water-line. This means that you’ll still need to do some manual scrubbing. A dirty waterline looks even dirtier when the rest of the pool is clear. However, the Classic cleans the walls AND the water line. This is not one of those ‘niche’ devices that do an incomplete job.
  5. Many Bots that clean walls come with a set of conditions. For example: they can only climb walls if the transition and smooth and curved. A few models have even stricter constraints. They can only climb curved walls if the radius is at least six inches. When the Classic claims that it climbs walls – it simply does what it promises, without making any excuses. It can handle right angled floor to wall transitions.
  6. The filter has an ultra fine mesh, 2 microns to be precise. A grain of salt is about 100 microns (just to put things into perspective). Hence, the Aquabot Classic can trap particles that are one fiftieth the size of a grain of salt! Impressive, isn’t it? The filter is easy to clean. A good rinse does the job.
  7. The Classic comes with a 50 foot power cable

Aquabot Classic Pros

  1. Stupendously amazing build quality. The Classic comes with a 2 year warranty. One year full warranty plus limited warranty for the second year. There are no rattles, creaks and squeaks. The bot feels and functions like a premium machine. It can out-do several robots that are more expensive.
  2. The Classic does not require any type of human supervision. It functions independently and a rarely ever gets stuck. It can go over drains, lights and other fixtures with ease.
  3. Does not create a commotion. Works quietly without disturbing you or the neighbors.
  4. Comes with a thoughtful handle at the top. This makes lifting and releasing it very easy.
  5. Timer and continuous run features are convenient.

Aquabot Classic Cons

  1. Only suitable for in-ground pools. This is perhaps the only limitation of this otherwise excellent machine.
  2. Does not come with remote control.
  3. Bottom access filter can be a tad inconvenient but it is certainly not a deal breaker.

Review Videos from Youtube

Aquabot Classic Review & Verdict:

Honestly, this is THE Ideal pool cleaner for in-ground pools. It Offers tremendous value for money, and the build quality serves as the industry benchmark.

It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely a SOLID in-ground pool cleaner, so check it out below!