231 reviews
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Owned nine months and really happy! – My experience with this pool cleaner has been different to a number of the other reviewers, maybe the majority of those who write reviews are the unhappy ones? But I have been delighted with our M400 after 9 months of fortnightly use in a smallish concrete rectangular pool. For starters the company staff really tried very hard to help me select the right unit. Secondly the unit does all it is claimed to do — climbs the walls, moves slightly horizontally when it reaches the surface, and covers the pool comprehensively in the 2.5 hour cycle. Negatives? The cable is a little inflexible to rewind, the unit is fairly heavy when lifting out of the water, and the carrying caddy is not a perfect design. I clean the filter cartridges on the unit after each use, which maybe some people do not, and that is a quick exercise. I was originally also critical of the company for the confusing marketing approach they were using in applying different badges to what was essentially the same machine for different distributors. But the M400 I have has done all I expected and more.
- Date Purchased:
Do not buy if your pool is curved in shape or has curved sides! – What a mistake for the price! My old Creepy-Crawler got around to every corner of my pool, but unfortunately for me this M400 Dolphin gets stuck as soon as it hit the curves. Wheels are spinning and nothing moving!! I took it back to the retailer and complained it was getting stuck. I commented it had the wrong brushes - (they were the foam Wonder brushes(?), instead of the PVC brushes). They said no, I had the right brushes for a fiberglass pool but I had the wrong angle on the handle float. Hogwash - I adjusted it and made no difference. Now, every time I use this M400 I have to keep an eye out so when it gets stuck I have to move it to get it going again. Admittedly, the areas it does clean, it does a good job, but I always use the Ultra-fine filter cartridges instead of the net filters. I just wished it would clean the whole pool and without my intervention to get it going. The advertising for the Dolphin is that you sit back, relax and never have to worry about the pool cleaner. Yeah right!!
I am really sorry that this product is over-priced, over-hyped and over-here...in my pool.
- Date Purchased:
I bought this cleaner in November 2019 for $2,590. I’ve spent way over $2,340 on repairs. It’s a good cleaner but the app that controls it is really bad. I’ve deleted and reinstalled it regularly hoping that the newer version will be better but no luck. These are the problems. 1. When the app eventually loads, it often can’t make contact with… Read more
the robot cleaner despite that I’m standing next to the power pack. 2. Overcoming the above problem by repeated random button pushing, the Home Screen when it eventually displays is all but blank. Going to the ‘change cleaning mode’ screen and returning to the Home Screen seems to fix this problem (I think). 3. Changing the cleaning mode does not always make the cleaner obey the new mode. This morning I put in ‘floor only’ mode only to see it cleaning at the waterline a few minutes later. 4. The manual drive inputs take so long to reach the robot that I find this feature practically useless. 5. The other features supposedly offered by the app (shop?) I never use.
I don’t need to be able to operate my pool cleaner from anywhere in the world, just when I’m next to the pool. It would be wonderful if Maytronics ditched the silly internet app and came up with a reliable hard-wired control system. I’d definitely buy a new cleaner if it had this feature.
Absolute Rubbish, don't believe the reviews I have bought 2 of these and within 24 months they have broken down and the customer service is absolutely not there. DONT BUY ONE
Follow-up · Hard to deal with and received no communication and left in the dark I still don’t know what was wrong and what got fixed if anything g at all This product shout be taken off the market
Cr#p product
I hate mine. It spends half its life stuck on my pool steps not moving. I have a long pool with steps at one end. Every time I look outside it’s there stuck on a step. If you have steps I don’t recommend the M400 at all. The pool power cord is forever tangled and as soon as you unplug it and untangle the cord it just tangles again. My steps have dirt and sand blown in and I will have to buy a manual pool cleaner to clean them. Show details
Hi Nick, Thankyou for your enquiry. We understand how… Read more
Reviews with attachments
Not happy with the unit at all, no system for cleaning. Tips over backwards and gets stuck. Doesn’t suck sand from around drain plug. App doesn’t acutely convey what the unit is doing. Returning to store tomorrow to hopefully swap for a more suitable model
Hi Kate, Thank you for reaching out regarding your Dolphin… Read more
Works well, but a few things could be better – We’ve had our pool robot for a couple of years. The main downside is the cable—it’s hard to straighten, tends to tangle, and is tricky to roll up neatly (we ended up buying a cable storage reel). If your power point is close to your pool, this might not be a big issue for you. The robot does a good job picking up bamboo and gum leaves, sand, and… Read more
debris - it doesn’t touch the black spots in grout. The filter basket can be a bit fiddly to remove and clean. Connecting through the app is slow—it takes a while to connect and longer to turn on. In manual mode, the robot sometimes loses connection (about 40% of the time) and stops mid-way through. If the basket is too full, you need a hook to pick it up as it can't climb the wall. I’ve had to replace the foam rollers once because it stopped climbing walls. Overall, it works okay for general cleaning, but next time I'm buying a cordless one!!
Hi Tahli, Thankyou for your feedback we will take this… Read more
Maytronics Dolphin M700 is Fantastic Pool Cleaner we have a lot of leaf and debris at times, and it cleans very well – We purchased a Dolphin M700 for Christmas and it cleans the pool so well. its the best investment we have ever made for the pool. Show details · 1
Very easy to set up and get going – Our pool usually gets a few leaves, but mainly dust and dirt. We found the app very easy to download and link with cleaner. 1st clean - deep clean. As we had recently had a demonstration machine in the pool it was still very clean, but this cycle still managed to pick up lots of sand and grit and the few errant twigs. We have a reasonably… Read more · 1
shallow swim out which the machine managed to get on to clean, and off again, which surprised us as rep suggested it may be too shallow. Not too heavy to remove from pool at end of cycle (female lifted with one arm) easy to clean filters and easy to hose down unit and put back on trolley after use to store. We're thinking a once a week clean might work for us, but it's so easy to use that we can do more often if required. Looking forward to a sparkling clean pool from here on in. ✅
In-depth reviews
Poor M500 and Maytronics experience – This has not been a good pool cleaner for us. We have had issues about it not climbing walls from the start. We have returned it to Maytronics several times - they say it climbs the wall in their test tank and so that means it is ok. It has had repairs under warranty - motor, power supply and others. I gave up un getting it to climb walls. … Read more
It does a good job cleaning the floor. It stopped interacting with the app early on and I was told to use the Dolphin Tech app instead which is much less user friendly. It does not always connect with the app. The robot has now stopped working completely - within warranty for the replacement motor and power supply. I returned it to Maytronics again over 2 weeks ago and have not heard from then. They apparently sent a quote for repair to the pool builder who supplied the M500 to us and 3 days ago on follow up they said they would send it to me as was intended in the first place. I have still not received the quote for repair. I will not by another Maytronics robot due to the issues with this M500 and the poor follow up service,
Great pool cleaner, but expensive repairs in the long run – This is my second Maytronics cleaner, the first was the M500. It's cleaning functionality is superb. It was trouble-free for the first 3 years, then parts started to break or wear out. My local dealer was not really the best in getting parts and doing repairs, but I found an online store in another state that has been my go-to parts supplier, and… Read more · 2
as a Mechanical engineer I was able to do all repairs myself. To date, here is what I have had to replace on the unit: both tractor belts (wear), front roller brush assembly (broken), internal drive gears (worn, broken), internal drive bushings (wear), main lid (latch hooks broken), main cable (failure of swivel joint to rotate (replaced under warranty), filter basket frame (broken), and the especially expensive main drive unit (total failure). All totaled up, repairs are nearing the price of a new unit. However, I still love the functionality of the unit, especially as my pool is surrounded by trees and a massive amount of debris ends up in the pool. BTW, the unit lives in the pool and is on a daily 2-hour cleaning cycle, so it gets a workout every day.
Edit...As with my prior M500, I never use the caddy as the unit lives in the pool year-round. I wish the units were available without the caddy at a reduced price, as I hate to waste the unused plastic in the caddy.
Great robot cleaner not failed in 5.5 years – The M500 i have i think is the Wonder Brush model with foam rollers not the more rubber-fin type of rollers in the picture. This Robot has been used on a 9.1 x 4.5 m painted concrete pool since 2017. What it does: The M500 cleans floor and walls to water line consistently and movement along water line can be easily changed by adjusting… Read more · 1
buoyancy arms. I usually set it to a 3hr clean cycle and completes a thorough clean of my sized pool in that time.
The M500 cleans a range of leaves from small leaves (hedge) to gum leaves and then very large Robinia and oak tree leaves as well as small sticks and dirt. It doesn't pick up large sticks or other items too big for the entry ports of course and has at times had to deal with large amount of very large robinia leaves which filled up the filter box straight away. It will push larger sticks or other objects out of the way - i have not had an instance where the M500 has been stuck for example on a large stick or branch after a storm for example.
The M500 doesn't clean steps past the bottom step - this is not unexpected as steps are shallow in step depth and reasonably high and any solid Robot model would not be able to clean these areas effectively even if they could climb the stairs. This is not an issue as any debris is easily manually removed from that area. Again the M500 has never been stranded or stuck trying to get up the stairs - it simply moves on.
How I use/maintain the M500: I always rinse out the filters straight after a pool clean cycle and rarely leave cleaner in the pool after a clean cycle. I am still using same initial filters and have the original back up set it came with still in the bag. Filters are now due to swap out as some of the locating lugs have broken over time but that is simply a wear and tear issue and usually broken from a rushed filter removal process by me.
The robot is always removed from pool after the clean and placed straight on the caddy which has also worked without an issue. It does sit in full afternoon sun and weather so a little fading of blue plastics has occurred but nothing undue or problematic. Rubber cable has remained 100% usable condition the whole time. The pool was a Chlorine chemical pool but i recently changed to Salt water and no issues there of course as cleaners are agnostic to water types.
There have been times when people have been swimming with the cleaner going in the pool. The cable can be a bit of a nuisance depending on pool games but not a danger in any way really.
Negatives: My only real negative is that the phone app stopped working when i upgraded from Samsung 6 android OS some time back. It just will not connect via Bluetooth. While it can see the Dolphin Bluetooth signal it just won't pair anymore. Support was responsive but not yet worked out a fix. This is frustrating as it is very useful at times to be able to drive the robot to debris heavy areas for a quick clean.
Service: Parts and service are all available and service is responsive and so the product/brand is well supported.
Overall: EXTREMELY happy with the ~$3,200 outlay originally made. The M500 has cleaned far better than a dedicated-pump-driven-cleaner I had first installed during the pool renovation and WAY better than the original skimmer connected creepy crawley style cleaners i have had. Have not had to replace anything on the M500 in five and half years, nor at this stage performed any significant maintenance/replacement work on it other than due care and cleaning of filters.
Find out how Maytronics Dolphin M Line compares to other Robotic Pool Cleaners
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Positive reviews
I ordered replacement foam rollers and they were delivered promptly. I am satisfied. Show details · 1
A++++ – Tried out a few machines and this was by far the best. It isnt cheap but you certainly pay for what you get with Maytronics. It is easy to set and go and always leaves the pool spotless however dirty it was at the start. Also easy to clean. Show details · 1
very satisfied – Better than expected! Easy to set up and quick. It cleaned the pool in less time than it has taken me to set up the vacuum hose and attachments in the past Show details · 1
Negative reviews
When it works, the Dolphin M600 does an excellent job and leaves the pool looking great, but the reliability and service experience are a major let‑down. In my case, the unit has broken down twice in 12 months, that left me without any cleaner for over a month while it sits in the store’s repair queue. The backlog is so large that it can take… Read more
weeks before anyone even looks at it, and then there is another long wait for parts from Maytronics before the repair is actually completed. During these long waits the pool gets progressively dirtier. For a premium‑priced robot, the cleaning performance is not enough to offset the repeated failures and lengthy, inconvenient repair process, and buyers should be aware that if it stops working, they may be without a cleaner for a very long time.
Very unhappy with my experience with Maytronics. My Dolphin M700 pool cleaner has completely failed even though it is less than a year old. The repairer advised that the replacement motor sent by Maytyronics to repair it also immediately failed. It is an absolutely nightmare trying to deal with Maytonics customer service - they are off shore and… Read more
don't actually know anything about any repairs. They need to try and get a hold of the employees who actually deal with the repairs and initiate a call back which often doesn't happen. I was told that a replacement for the failed part had been sent out, only to call back two days later and be told that actually it has not been sent out. It's nearly two weeks now since I took my Dolphin pool cleaner in to be repaired and I am no closer to a resolution - the repairer still doesn't have the part (a replacement motor) that is needed. So disappointing as this was a very expensive piece of equipment.
Good morning, We’re sorry to hear about your… Read more
Maytronics - avoid – Garbage product. Multiple faults, has been back under warranty twice in the first 2 years of ownership. Faulty cable, faulty control box, ball bearings appearing in the bottom of the pool after components have fallen apart, WIFI doesn’t work, Support hard to communicate with of get direct answers. Seems to be a common thread if you read these… Read more
reviews. Robot works well when it is functional, but overall it is the Jeep of the robot world - lots of promise but ultimately a rubbish, unreliable and costly lemon.
Thank you for taking the time to share your… Read more (+1 reply)
Recent reviews
Dolphin M600 - quality build but doesn't live up to expectations – It was time to upgrade my Austal Pool RF robotic cleaner which I purchased for $1,000 a couple of years ago. I shopped around through the minefield of robotic pool cleaners out there. I decided to go for an Maytonics Dolphin M600 thinking one of the most expensive cleaners on the market must be better. I spent almost three times the price of the… Read more
original cleaner. I wanted a basket rather than a bag. I wanted double filtration. I wanted to clean the walls and waterline. I have been using this cleaner for around 8 weeks and I have to say that I am underwhelmed. I have an older tiled pool with a bowl shaped bottom. It struggles with the slopes in my pool. It struggles to pick up leaves and debris that my old cleaner would have eaten for breakfast. I need to run it a couple of times to get all the leaf matter out. It hasn't set the world on fire for me nor lived up to expectations.
Hi Paul, Thankyou for your feedback. We are sorry to… Read more
Poor product and customer service – I had brought this product however have had numerous problems with the M600. I have had to return the cleaner on several occasions from not cleaning properly, not climbing the wall, replacing the power cable ($500) and now the robot is unfixable after 4 years due to a gasket failing and leaking water into the main board. They tried to blame high… Read more
chlorine levels however my pool is a naked system. I paid the quote to repair ($300) however Maytronics are refusing to reimburse after the diagnosis and will not communicate despite numerous attempts to contact, very disappointing on so many fronts.
Please do not respond with your standard pre written Maytronics email, as a customer we expect better professional service and treatment. As you have failed to even communicate I will be forced now to lodge with VCAT on both issues.
Very similar experience as per Jan4004.
Do not buy maytronics m400 – The cable gland is poor and leaks water, cutting connection to motor. The water travels inside the cable and destroys the motor as well. Support is terrible. I have had 3 cable failures now. Machine is back in the shop with long delays expected. The unit also does not climb the walls as it should. Terrible , expensive machine I wish I never bought. Show details
Hi Fieldy, I’m sorry to hear about the issues you've… Read more
Find out how Maytronics Dolphin M Line compares to other Robotic Pool Cleaners
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Still in 'as new' condition but completely died – Purchased Feb 2020. Used approx 15-20 times per year (fortnightly in summer, less in winter). Looked after meticulously. Stopped working this week, only 4 and abit years old. Pool shop says the motor has gone and it's dead. Called Maytronics, couldn't have cared less. I've never had a TV, fridge, washing machine, etc (all of which cost less… Read more
than this did) last such little time. We will be buying a different brand. At least they could have offered a dicount on the parts required or something, but expecting us to outlay ~$1,000 to fix what an applciance that is basically in new condition is a joke. Clearly they just dont build these thinsg well and assume if you have a pool you can afford to replace these every few years.
Hi Dave, Thank you for sharing your experience, and… Read more (+1 reply)
Dirt pool – Not really that happy with this cleaner .. I had a aquabot tigershark for 18 years .. it still runs but I thought I'd upgrade .. my tigershark blows my m600 away .. the pump was stronger it picked up dirt and sand even in the cracks , it climbed my stairs .. the m600 I have to run sometime 3 or 4 times to get the same results .. and mind you my… Read more
tiger shark was just a drop in cleaner .. no mapping no programs no apps .. it had one issue it would get stuck on the main drain which was frustrating ..but once rescued it did a much better job .. I fear I'm stuck with this m600 thing for years now .. have to say .... not happy with it !!
Hi Thomas, Thank you for providing feedback on your… Read more
Love the robot but not the blue cable! – My second cable has just failed inside 5 years of use. Cleaner is looked after and in great condition but spending $400 to replace a cable every 2-3 years seems unreasonable. Customer support replied with a standard response about balancing the water and correct storage of the cleaner but I already follow their recomendations and still the power cables fail. Aside from that, the cleaner does a great job of cleaning our freeform fibreglass pool. Show details
Exactly as specified – This is the best pool cleaner I have found. Great product that hopefully will remain this way. I would recommend this product to anyone who might need a pool cleaner! Show details · 1
Well impressed – Just got our new Dolphin over the weekend and unpacked it, put it in the pool and away it goes. Its pretty much cleaned the whole pool and even did some of the steps. Well impressed. Show details · 1
Power cable failure again – I have a dolphin m600 and it does a great job but now it's not working again it appears the power cable has leaked/failed again, It should still be under warranty but 2x power cable failures in 2 years is unimpressive. Show details
Hi Andrew Thankyou for your response. Please call Customer care on 1300 693 657 so we can assist you further.
Simply Awesome – In my opinion it is the best pool cleaner in it's price range. Happy with it, it does the job. Show details · 1
love it! – Love it and our friends love coming over to see it do its magic in the pool!! Show details · 1
Extra Information
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Hi, we would love to help you get the best experience with your Dolphin M400. Please call us on 1300 693 657, we are here to help.