Zodiac MX-8

We may earn commissions for purchases made through links on our site. Learn more on our about us page.

 3.8 out of 5 stars

 

Pros

• Works on all shapes of Pools
• Incredibly Quiet
• Has powerful cleaning turbines

Cons

• Uses pools Filter and Pump system
• Considerably heavier than others

 

Our Verdict

• Great at picking up any sized debris
• Handles stairs and corners remarkably well
• Smart technology lets it learn the pool 
  

 

Technical Specs

• 21 pounds
• 36 ft cord hose
• Operates at low flow
• X-Trak tires and X-Drive Technology

Our Review

Owning your own swimming pool is one of the greatest things in the world, until it’s time to clean it. Unfortunately, it’s a job you can’t ignore if you want to use it regularly, but on the bright side you don’t have to break your back cleaning it the hard way these days. There will be no more leaf scooping and wall scrubbing, because suction-side pool cleaners will do all of the hard work for you.

Design

On the onset, the Triton looks like a beast. The signature blue on black color of the Dolphin line prominently stands out. Don’t let the simplicity of its design fool you; the Triton is as high-tech as they come.

360° swivel cable

Included on the Triton is the same patented design we see on the Dolphin Premier. The cable on the Triton is 60 feet long, allowing it to easily clean pools up to 50 feet long. Holding that cable together is the patented swivel that ensures the cable will never get tangled in itself. No matter how tightly it is wound, it will never cause the Triton to become stationary.

Sensory Learning

What sets this, and most other Dolphin Cleaners, apart from other robotic vacuums on the market is its ability to learn your pool. When you first put the Dolphin Triton Robotic Pool Cleaner into your pool, it immediately begins learning your pools design to pick the most efficient route for cleaning. It even picks up on where any raised drains or lighting may be.

In doing this, over time, it will become increasingly efficient on how it cleans your pools. This is an extremely interesting feature, especially for those with odd-shaped pools. Most cleaners will constantly leave uncleaned sections in these pools; the Triton doesn’t do this. You may have a couple of areas the first couple of times, but by the third and fourth time cleaning your pool, it has it down completely and you will see an impressively clean pool.

True Plug and Go Design

Right out of the box, the Triton is ready to go. All you would have to do is plug it into an available outlet, turn it on, and put it in the pool. There’s no hooking it up to the pool’s pump, letting suction build up, and then hoping you don’t lose suction in the middle of cleaning. Simply drop this robotic cleaner into your pool and let it work.

Great filter Options

The Triton has many ways it can filter your pool. The best way to choose between the options would be how dirty your pool is. Do you run the vacuum every day so that there isn’t any large debris in the pool? The best option is going to be the micro filters, able to filter down to 2 microns in size. These are perfect to get rid of algae growth but aren’t very good at gathering large debris.

Have a lot of large debris? Then the filter bag is the option for you. Still capable of getting most of the algae particles out of the water, the large debris bags have the ability to hold leaves, acorns, and pine needles. The great thing about these filter options is the fact that each can be rinsed with a high-pressure water hose.

Perfect for Walls and Steps

The track system on the Triton makes it perfect for climbing walls. While most robotic vacuums tend to lose their grip and tumble away from the wall before reaching the top, the Triton will power itself up the wall until it reaches the water line.

Worried about your steps not getting clean? Don’t. During testing, the Dolphin Triton Robotic Pool Cleaner was capable of climbing even the oddest shaped steps without skipping a beat. What was even more unbelievable was when the Triton when over the pool ladder without a hiccup.

Once concern many in-ground pool owners have when purchasing a robotic vacuum is that the machine will either get stuck in the deep end or become stalled on the raised drain and lighting. That’s why Dolphin is such a good manufacturer.

First, they’ve designed their robotic cleaner to easily maneuver over these obstacles. The truth is, however, that not every two pools are the same. That’s why, if you purchase the Triton and discover it’s having these issues, simply call Dolphin and they will send out an attachment to fix it. Why not include the attachment with every package you ask? Because the people who won’t have this issue far out way the ones who will. So, it’s most cost effective to send out the attachment as needed.

Amazing Cleaning cycles

When Dolphin created the Triton, they knew that different pools would call for different cleaning styles. That’s why the Triton has a vast array of different cleaning cycles to fit your pool’s level of cleanliness. Has it been a week since you last cleaned? With the Triton, setting it for a longer cycle is a breeze. The standard cycle will last for 3 hours, while it can go down to one hour for a fast cleaning.

The cost to run each cycle is abnormally cheap, too. For a single 3-hour cycle, you will spend less than 15 cents total in cleaning your pool. Compare that with how much you would have to pay your pool boy each hour and the Triton more than pays for itself in no time.

Includes a Caddy

With the Triton being so extremely heavy, moving it from its storage location to the pool would be a hassle for most anybody. Luckily, when you purchase the Dolphin Triton you automatically get the storage caddy that has been specifically designed to fit this cleaner.

This caddy does many things. First, it allows the Triton to sit perfectly on the bottom portion without putting weight on the wheels of the cleaner. This ensures these wheels last longer. Secondly, it allows for a designated space to hang the cable and power supply. This storage caddy makes storing the Triton when it’s not in use a breeze.

When most look at the Triton, they first see the large price. However, if you’ve spent any time at all researching this market, you’ll find that the Triton isn’t even close to being the most expensive option. When you factor that in with the features you are getting, there’s no reason not to make the investment in the Dolphin Triton Robotic Pool Cleaner.

Whether you’re wanting to cut down the time you spend maintaining your pool or just don’t have the patience to clean it yourself, the Dolphin Triton Robotic Pool Cleaner is a great option. With all of the features it comes standard with, you’ll have one of the cleanest pools around. Plus, you’ll have spent more time enjoying your pool than maintaining it.