Aquabot Turbo T4RC Review

The Turbo’s final form. I have been researching the Turbo series all week and am very glad to reach this one. I finally get to talk about remote controlled pool cleaners! They may seem pointless at first, but the minor savings that can be made by manually directing your cleaning bot cannot be overstated in the long term. Add i the fact that the T4RC comes with all the features seen in the higher end Turbo series and this more expensive options might be my favorite of all of them. I’ll be sad to leave the Turbos behind after this, but next week I’ll be looking at some Breeze derivatives, and they tend to be some of my favorites designs.

So let’s take a closer look at the cheapest racer of the Aquabot family, see if the Aquabot Turbo T4RC is right for you.

Aquabot Turbo T4RC Design and Build Quality

Another iteration in terms of looks this one. All of the Turbo builds seem to be based on the Aquabot Classic. I am not a fan of the overall aesthetic, much prefer the Breeze series, but you cannot fault them in terms of build. They are slotted together well, the last thing you want in a robotic pool cleaner build is rattle, and I have seen a fair few models from cheaper companies fall apart under stress over time. That will not happen to an Aquabot, unless you come at it with a hammer, which is no0t covered by your warranty. The quality of the plastic used is great, and I am a fan of the blue.Always good to see a handle, as this is a beast of a machine.

I may not be enthused about the look of the machine, but that shouldn’t matter to you all that much. It will get the job done, and do it well, for a long time.

Aquabot Turbo T4RC Features and Specs

I have been looking forward to this. The Turbo T4RC has all of the features seen in previous iterations of the Turbo line. An active brush at the base, for deep cleaning the pool floor, an inactive brush fixed for cleaning walls, as the T4RC can climb and clean walls well too. The cable is 60′, making it perfect for in ground 50′ pools, and it also has the Never Stuck track mod, allowing it to traverse all kinds of in pool obstacles. The power washing feature is here too, and while the auto cycles are as varied as the T2, it is not as fast at cleaning a pool. You can get away with a one hour cycle in general, but I would not recommend only using that setting. Dimension wise we are looking at a 19 x 18 x 21 inches machine, and it weighs around 40 pounds. The Turbo series is not light by any stretch of the imagination, but they all come with a useful handle, making taking them out of the water slightly easier.

The really exciting part about the T4RC is the radio control options. You can move the pool cleaner manually, not only along the pool  floor, but up that walls too. Now besides the obvious in pool drag races that can be had, this feature allows you to cut a cleaning cycle short, hone in on the specific area you want cleansed, and take the machine out again. The time saving alone is worth it, but we also have to factor in the money saving as well. A couple of cents, not too much, but over the long term worth it.

If it wasn’t obvious by now, I love it. Granted, that might be a juvenile side of me that simply wants to race RC cars in a swimming pool, but I stand by the fact that RC is cheaper in the long run, even if you won’t want to use it all the time.

Aquabot Turbo T4RC Ease of Use

In this section I usually talk about how all the robotic pool cleaners I recommend are cut from the same cloth, that I shy away from complicated builds that require external pumps because I do not think they are any better than the all in one devices. That is still true, but with the T4RC I cannot say that it is simple to use. The remote control options complicate the build, there is no getting around that. Using it in automatic mode is the usual Aquabot simplicity, but when you are trying to control it remotely you may find it is a little sticky. This does not remove the utility though, I just wish the controls where a little smoother. The heft of the machine is worrisome too, but the handle goes a long way to mitigate any issues when removing it from a pool. The bottom loading filter bag is less than ideal, I prefer a top loafing bag, but once you have the T4RC on its back replacing the bag is easy enough. Be sure top buy replacements though, as after a few cycles the bags become a little troublesome to clean manually.

Overall an impressive build. Harder to use than most robotic pool cleaners, due to the additional features, but they are only a caveat in this section, in all other ways being able to control your robotic pool cleaner remotely is a god send.

Aquabot Turbo T4RC Pricing

All these features cost money. The Turbo series averages between $800 and $1000, with the T4RC usually costing just under a grand. Well worth it at that price from my perspective, but if it is outside your price range then there are other options available, though none will have remote control options. The core thing about buying a pool cleaner that we have to accept is that we are not merely buying an appliance. We are buying free time, a device that is guaranteed to give you a few hours back every week. So regardless of the make and model of the pool cleaner you go for, even if it is bottom of the barrel, it will have been worth the money, and have paid you back in time within a year. I realize I say that a lot, but it is always true.

Per cycle cost to run this cleaner is pretty cheap, averaging at under 20c. Finding out exactly how much it will cost will require you to find out the cost per kilowatt hour in your area, and doing the math with the 230-W power draw. For the most part is is peanuts, but long terms costs must be understood when buying any piece of tech. The warranty is the same as the T and the T2. Three years, first full coverage with the other two being limited. I have read both their full coverage warranty and their limited warranty, and while I was impressed with the former, the latter left a lot to be desired. Read through it yourself and you’ll see what I mean, no coverage for acts of God for example. Still, it is better to have them than to not, so i cannot complain to much.

In terms of raw numbers this is an expensive machine. But when we factor in time saved, features included and the ability to set up an RC pool cleaner betting ring I’m sure you will agree that this product is well worth it.

Aquabot Turbo T4RC Conclusion

This is the best of the Turbo series. It is also the most expensive. I love the RC options, and the fact that all the T improvements are present here is wonderful. If, like me, you want a robotic pool cleaner that can do it all and more besides then this is a serious contender.

Pros:

• Automatic, requires no supervision.
• Works out of the box, no need to connect it to a pool pump.
• Remote Control
• Active brush for a deep clean
• Cleans all the wall
• Wall brush for added utility

Cons:

• Heavy, very heavy
• In ground pools only.
• No swivel cable, but there are options there.