Dolphin Robotic Pool Cleaners: S100 vs S300i

Dolphin is the robotic cleaner range made by Maytronics, and it is one of the names people most often ask about when they start looking for a robot. If you have been searching for a Dolphin pool cleaner in South Africa, you have probably met two model names over and over: the Dolphin S100 and the Dolphin S300i. This guide explains how a Dolphin robotic pool cleaner behaves in daily use, what separates those two models, how to look after one so it keeps working, and when a plain suction cleaner is still the better answer.

If you are earlier in the process and still comparing the main types of cleaner, our guide to robot, suction and pressure pool cleaners covers that decision first.

How a robot differs from a suction cleaner

Most Highveld pools have grown up with a suction cleaner, the kind that plugs into the weir or a dedicated suction point and wanders the pool floor while the pump runs. A robotic cleaner works on a different principle altogether, and the differences show up in everyday use.

  • It does not depend on your pool pump. A suction cleaner only moves while the pump pulls water through it, so it cleans when the pump runs and stops when the pump stops. A robot has its own motor and its own pump inside the body. You can run it at any time of day, whatever your pump timer is doing.
  • It carries its own filter. A suction cleaner sends everything it picks up through the weir basket, the pump basket and into your sand filter. A robot collects debris in its own filter basket or cartridge on board. Your weir basket fills more slowly, and your sand filter has less to deal with between backwashes.
  • It has a power supply unit and a floating cable. The power supply plugs into a normal outlet and stands back from the pool. It sends low-voltage power down a floating cable to the robot. Follow the manual on how far from the water the power supply must stand.
  • It scrubs rather than just sucks. Robots drive on tracks or wheels and turn brushes as they go. That brushing action is what lifts the film and fine dirt off walls that a suction cleaner mostly leaves behind.
  • It comes out of the pool after each cycle. A suction cleaner usually lives in the water. A robot is lifted out, emptied and put away. That is a small daily job, and you should be honest with yourself about whether you will do it.

Dolphin S100: the entry model

The Dolphin S100 is the simplest robot in the S range. On Maytronics' product page it is listed as cleaning the floor and walls, with no waterline scrubbing. It comes with a fine filter, runs a default cycle of two hours, and has no app, no weekly timer and no anti-tangling swivel on the cable.

In plain terms, the S100 is a robot you drop in, switch on and take out when it has finished. For many family pools in Centurion and Pretoria that is exactly enough. If the main problem in your pool is fine dust and silt on the floor, plus a film creeping up the walls, the S100 deals with both without depending on the pump.

What you give up is convenience. Without a timer you start every cycle yourself. Without a swivel the cable can twist over time, so untangling it is part of the routine.

Dolphin S300i: app control, waterline and scheduling

The Dolphin S300i adds the features people tend to want once they have lived with a basic robot. According to Maytronics' product page, it cleans the floor, walls and waterline, it is controlled through the MyDolphin Plus app, it has a weekly timer and a delay feature, and it has an anti-tangling swivel on the cable. Its filtration is described as multi-layer, meant to deal with coarse and fine debris together.

What that means in practice:

  • Waterline cleaning. The robot climbs to the surface and scrubs along the tile line, where dirt, sunscreen and oils collect. Hard Gauteng water leaves a scale line that no robot will remove once it has set hard, but regular scrubbing helps slow the build-up of grime on it.
  • Scheduling. You can set the robot to run on chosen days without having to remember. That matters most if you are away during the week or simply forget.
  • App control. You can start a cycle, change programmes or steer the robot to a dirty spot from your phone. Useful if you will use it, not essential if you will not.
  • The swivel. Less twisting means less time spent untangling, and a cable that lasts better.

If you are choosing between the two, the honest question is whether you will use the scheduling and app, and whether your waterline is a real problem. If both answers are no, the S100 does the core job. If either answer is yes, the S300i is the one to look at. For the broader checklist on choosing any robot, from pool shape to spares, see our robotic pool cleaner buying guide.

Looking after a Dolphin so it lasts

A robot is a motor, a pump, electronics and a cable working underwater. A few habits make the difference between one that runs for years and one that ends up waiting for repairs.

  • Rinse the filter after every cycle. A clogged filter makes the robot work harder and clean less. Open it, shake out the leaves, and hose the fine dirt out of the mesh before you put it away.
  • Keep the cable untangled. Lay the cable out straight now and then and let the twists come out. Check it for cuts, kinks or crushed sections, particularly where it rubs on the pool edge.
  • Store it out of the sun. The Highveld sun is hard on plastics and on cables. Keep the robot and the power supply in the shade or in a garage or storeroom when not in use, and never leave the power supply standing in the rain.
  • Take it out during shock dosing. Do not leave the robot in the pool while you shock with a heavy dose of chlorine, and give the water time to settle afterwards before you put it back. Rinse the robot with clean water if it has been in treated water for a while.
  • Do not leave it in the pool between cycles. Taking it out after each cycle protects it from constant chemical exposure and lets the filter dry.
  • Lift it by the handle and let it drain. A robot full of water is heavier than it looks. Lift it slowly and let the water run out before you carry it.

Who should buy a Dolphin, and who should not

A Dolphin robotic pool cleaner makes the most sense when:

  • your walls and steps get a film that a suction cleaner never reaches
  • fine Highveld dust settles on the floor faster than your sand filter catches it
  • you want to clean the pool without running the pump for longer, or at times when the pump is off
  • you are happy to lift the robot out after each cycle and rinse its filter

A suction cleaner is often the better choice when:

  • the pool is mostly floor debris, such as leaves from nearby trees, and the walls stay clean
  • nobody in the house wants to lift a heavy robot out of the water every few days
  • the pool is used lightly and the existing suction cleaner is doing its job

If you already own a suction cleaner that has stopped moving, it may just need attention rather than replacing, and the robot can wait. Either way, a cleaner does nothing for chlorine, pH, alkalinity or stabiliser. Those still need testing and correcting. If you would rather someone else handled that, our weekly pool maintenance covers testing, dosing and equipment checks.

Buying a Dolphin from Crystal Reef

The Dolphin S100 and Dolphin S300i are available in the Robotic Cleaners department of our online shop. Each product page shows the details and whether the item is held or ordered in, so see current prices in our shop rather than relying on a figure you may have seen elsewhere. Delivery bands and collection details are on our pool shop in Centurion page.

Not sure which one suits your pool? WhatsApp us on 081 577 5051 with a photo of the pool, its rough size, its finish, and what usually ends up in it, and we will help you decide.

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