Dolphin Proteus DX3 Pool Robot Vacuum Cleaner — Wall Climbing Capability — Powerful Active Scrubbing Brush — Ideal for All Pool Types up to 33 FT in Length

I just began using this cleaner today, so I'll update this review after a year, or at least after I've used it for a while. I purchased the Proteus DX3 because my old Polaris Sport 8050 (for which I paid $1,000) died after only four years. When I took it in to my pool store to be fixed, I learned that the warranty is only two years and that four years is actually longer than the average lifespan. The only way to fix it is to replace the entire motor module, which costs about as much as a new Proteus. The store employee actually told me that Dolphin pool cleaners are supposed to be more reliable, and so... First impression: (1) this machine weighs less than the Polaris and pulls out of the pool MUCH more easily, in part because the water drains out of it much more quickly. That's a welcome improvement, because the one thing I really hated about the Polaris was getting it out of the pool. (2) I like this filter basket better. You pull it out of the machine and then undo a snap on the bottom to let the debris fall out. Hose it off and put it back in - very easy! Without going into needless detail, this process was more cumbersome with the polaris basket. After one use, my extremely subjective impression is that the Dolphin cleans about as well as the Polaris did, for about half the price. Win! You do need to buy a caddy for the machine (at least I did - it protects the scrub brush from getting bent out of shape). And at $100, it's absurdly overpriced. (I also purchased it on Amazon, and you can read my review of it.) Whatever... I'll update this review after further use, but so far I'm pleased. I rated it four stars, rather than five, because I have no idea how long it will last. If this ends up lasting 5+ years, I'll come back and give it another star! Update #1: after about a month of use or so, my impression is that the Polaris is a better, more efficient cleaner. It has two scrubbers instead of one. The Dolphin seems to stop a lot and "think" about what it's doing next. The polaris also has a larger filter basket. That said, at the end of the day, as far as I can tell, my pool is just as clean with the Dolphin, even if it takes longer. At half the price, I would definitely buy it over the Polaris robot. Update #2: having now used the Dolphin to open the pool (I cover it during the winter), I can affirm that the Polaris was definitely a better cleaner. Last year when I used it to open the pool, the layer of dirt on the filter basket was MUCH thicker. For whatever reason, it just did a better job of "vacuuming" the pool. Now, having said that, the Dolphin did get my pool clean - it just took a day or so longer. I had to keep running it, pull it out to clean the filter basket, repeat, etc. Even so, given that this is (again) HALF the cost of the Polaris, I'm still pleased.

I had the Dolphin Nautilus before purchasing this Proteus and it was terrible. It left black marks all over my plaster from the black plastic body on it, it didn't pick up everything, I watched it roll right over leaves and not pick it up, and the filter was thin and didn't hold a lot and didn't hold fine particles like sand. I went through the return process bc of the black marks it left in the pool. Maytronix did refund me entirely, thank goodness. I decided to try the Proteus out and I'm so happy I did! It has a white body, so no black marks at all. If you have plaster, don't get the Nautilus. It's a common complaint that they haven't addressed for some reason. The filter basket is huge. It holds leaves, the squiggly fuzzy things from oak trees, and the mesh is so fine it even holds sand and fine dirt. It's easy enough to clean. I usually clean the bigger debris out and then put it in the sink to get the smaller/finer things out. The suction is great! I watched it approach a leaf and you could see it sucking it up before ever rolling over it. I never saw that with the Nautilus. It still climbs the walls of my pool like the Nautilus which is great for helping clean because brushing is hard for me for some reason. It doesn't go on my stairs, but it does go on the bench seat. I just brush my stairs when I brush the pool, no big deal, I'm brushing anyway. My only complaint is it pops a lot of wheelies and does a lot of stopping and reversing which makes you think it's not efficient or doing the job. However, it does still clean the pool in one cycle and that's all that matters to me. It can pop wheelies all it wants as long as it still cleans in one cycle. Overall I'm very impressed with the Proteus and even happier because it's hundreds less than the Nautilus, but better in my opinion.

We ordered the Dolphin Proteus DX3 after having a Polaris that required a booster pump for many years. We have only had it 2 weeks but so far are pleased with its cleaning ability. It covers the entire pool including the deep part in the middle where it slopes on either side. It cleans everything in less than 3 hours. We love the simplicity of the machine and how easy it is to remove the filter to clean which is removed on the top of the Dolphin making is easy to remove. We ordered a hook to help lift it from bottom of pool after cleaning which is very helpful. So far so good. Hope this cleaner lasts as long as our old Polaris as far as reliability. Will update again if not reliable or any issues.

6 MO. Review. I have a standard size kidney shaped pool. Luckily my unit is running fine. Except a small problem the Cover for the filter randomly pops open and all the debries falls out. I have searched the web to see if any one has fixed this problem. so far I have not found a solution. Will start to find a way to prevent this. The power supply timer seems to be a poor design. First if you go on vacation for longer than a week the unit will stop running. A regular power supply with an external timer would be better. Also this timer included in the ps seems to go crazy when the ac power fails ,and returns . I think is better to run the unit every two or three days to prevent ware and tare of all parts. Also if possible pull the unit out of the water a couple of days to dry out when the pool is clean. Inside the unit is a sealed plastic piece that contain motors and electronic board which can get destroyed by water leaking inside.

This product is great to keep your pool clean. I purchased this to replace a Polaris . I’m so glad I changed to this robotic cleaner.