Thursday, February 13, 2025

Maytronic Dolphin Edge – Robotic Pool Cleaner

Well have I got news for you gentle readers. Turns out that it is common practice among robotic pool cleaning companies to rebrand products for certain retailers. I have come across it a little in the past, with the Endeavor, but it seems that it is far more prevalent in Maytronics Dolphin Catalogue than I suspected. Now this isn’t a bad thing, it means that with some minor shopping around you can find the cheapest version of the specific robotic pool cleaner that you want. It does mean that I will have to go back over my previous articles and add in a short section on model clones, but that is only bad news for me, for you it can only mean savings.

The Dolphin Edge is a riff on the DX6, one of their most advanced builds. It may have a few design choices that I find suspect, but on the whole this is an impressive cleaner. It has more bells and whistles than most, and the core Dolphin feature set is all present, and all fantastic. The differences here are mainly aesthetic, but there are a few accessories with the Edge that may make it a more attractive buy.

So let’s dive right in, break down the differences here, and see if the Edge is the right product for you.

Maytronics Dolphin Edge Design and Build Quality

Dolphi Edge of water The Dolphin Edge is based on the DX6, but that is not all that share this design. There are no fewer than five  versions of this machine, the Dolphin Premier, Dolphin Triton,  Dolphin DX6,  Dolphin Edge and the Dolphin Thunder 20. It isn’t much of a surprise, Maytronic sign exclusivity deals with various brick and mortar and online retailers. In addition, it is a great machine. A rough and ready pool cleaner, it is up to Maytronics usual high standards. You will notice no rattle when you take it out of the box, which is important so please bear it in mind.

As for the look of the build, it is safe to say that I am again not all that enthused by it. The DX6 was boring, and when you consider how good the DX3 looked that fact is baffling. The Edge does have one major benefit, that shiny red finish. Not only does it look fantastic, it is also much easier to see under water, and considering the remote control options present here that fact is a bit important. The Triton and the Premier look a little better, with their Black and blue finish, but the Thunder 20 must have been a mistake in the design department. How they decided on lilac and grey is beyond me, though Nintendo of America made that same mistake way back in the nineties.

Not much else to say about this one. The build quality is high, and you should have some basic knowledge to troubleshoot early issues. The design is at best functional, and at worst its Thunder 20. There are a few questionable feature decisions though, and if you read on you’ll find out what I’m talking about.

Maytronics Dolphin Edge Features and Specs

On to the insides, and the feature set is identical to the DX6. This is an in ground pool cleaning robot with a 60′ swivel cable. The patented swivel cable is tangle resistant, which is great seen as a tangle cable is the number one reason for a cycle stop. The base of this machine is fitted with a high power brush, guaranteed to thoroughly clean the pool floor. In addition to cleaning the floor, this build can make that coveted ninety degree transition to the pool wall, cleaning it from bottom to top. That feature is not present on all machines on the market, but I consider it a must have.

Unlike the DX6 the Edge comes with a filter mesh system as standard. I far prefer this method, as while it is slightly harder to clean it does do a slightly better job of filtering the debris. Our cycle time is a very impressive 2.5 hours, faster than most bots in the Maytronics stable. The built in pump is the standard Maytronic Dolphin high powered pump. able to filter 4,233 gallons of water an hour. It will leave your pool crystal clear.

The remote control options here are a little less impressive than the DX6 though, as without a dual drive motor you cannot have fine control over the movements. You can still guide it around the pool, which is nice when you have a specific area you want to target, but true 1:1 control is not possible. It does come with a caddy as standard, which is not something you see with every iteration, and it makes transport much easier. The weekly timer function is here, and is made all the more useful by the full indicator, so you can leave this bot in the pool until it tells you it cannot go on.

A fully featured bot this, there are a few features missing when compared to the DX6, but the addition of a caddy, and the switch to a filter mesh system, more than make up for any perceived short comings.

Maytronics Dolphin Edge Ease of Use

There are two kinds of robotic pool cleaner on the market today. The all in one units and the kind that need extensive set up and external pumps. I tend to avoid the external pump based set ups. They are harder to use for one, and I judge them to be a little superfluous. Internal self contained pumps these days are quite powerful, anything more would really be overkill. The Edge is very simple to use. It is a plug and play device, all you have to do is plug it in and drop it in the pool. Having a remote adds an extra layer, but that’s just a matter of pressing a button.

The only real downsides to this build is the weight and the bottom loading filter bag. At 22 pounds, this is not a light machine.l Getting it in and out of the pool is made somewhat easier with the handle, but if you find it more than you can, then it might be best to look elsewhere.

The bottom loading filter is a pool design choice. I know for a fact that Dolphin have top loading designs at their disposal, so seeing this here is disheartening. Bottom loading filter bags tend to spill a little debris back into the pool if they are over flowing by just a little, and you don’t want to see that.  Having to flip the whole machine over to replace the mesh and clean out the bot is a hassle that just shouldn’t be.

If you can get over those minor issues then you shouldn’t have any using the Edge.

Maytronics Dolphin Edge Pricing, Value, & Discounts

Dolphin edge filters This is by no means an inexpensive machine. The price range for the Edge falls into the $1000-$1200 range, and that can be a little much for some. I spend a lot of my time shopping around at various retail sites, and a few brick and mortar businesses, and can confirm that they do occasionally go down, but you really do have to look for yourself. I see a robotic pool cleaner as an investment in claiming back your own time. Any bot you buy will have paid you back in free time within a year, so remember that when you are looking.

The only other major cost to this build is the costs of running it. The per cycle costs will change depending on the price per kilowatt hour in your area, and seen as Dolphin has not released the power consumption information on any of their machines to me, unlike Aquabot for whom i was able to provide a more detailed price breakdown, I will have to run a quick estimate. Average cycle cost should not be much more than 10c, plus or minus 5c. Not a huge price, but something to consider over the long term.

Now to the warranty, and with Aquabot I took great delight in breaking down the travesty that was their limited warranty. With the Dolphin range I was unable to do that, as Maytronics have yet to send me their full warranty information. I have contacted them regarding this, and expect to hear back fro them soon, but in the meantime I am unable provide a full breakdown. I also cannot pass judgement on the value of their 24 month bumper to bumper warranty that comes with the Edge, though historically bumper to bumper means full coverage, so I am hopeful.

Maytronics Dolphin Edge Conclusion

Well there we have it. If you want an in ground pool cleaner in this price range, with remote control options, wall climbing ability and a filter mesh system then this is certainly one to consider. But if the weight, bottom loading bag and, let’s be honest, the price is a little too much for you then there are plenty of other options available. Be sure to take a look through my previous reviews, I’m sure I can find something to suit.

Pros:

  • Works out of the box, no need to connect it to a pool pump.
  • Cleans walls and the tile line
  • Rudimentary remote control options
  • Caddy
  • Range of cycle settings

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Warranty info is light on the ground.
  • Bottom loading filter
Barry W Stanton
Barry W Stanton
Irish born writer who drinks too much caffeine and reads too much Terry Pratchett. I enjoy long walks on the server and Korean cuisine.
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here