Is it a fresh pool robot, or is it a trite pool cleaner? I review the Dolphin Triton, Triton Plus, Triton PS, and Triton PS Plus robotic pool cleaners.
Dolphin Triton Review
The Dolphin Triton is a robotic pool cleaner with a power supply unit that plugs into a GFCI outlet near an inground residential pool. It has a 60-foot power cable with a patented swivel action (which keeps the cable tangle-free) that relays the power to its internal pump motor. It is appropriate for an inground pool size up to 50 feet in length.
The Dolphin Triton uses bottom loading cartridge filters which are easy to remove, rinse and replace. The biggest drawback is that the filters need regular cleaning because they cannot hold as much dirt and leaves as an ordinary filter bag system. Still, it is possible to buy and install a filter bag conversion kit if you prefer a bag system.
The Dolphin Triton robotic pool cleaner might not be available anymore, because it is now an older pool cleaner model. It has probably been replaced by the newer Triton robotic pool cleaners.
Key Features
I have already mentioned a few features, but here it is in the form of a list:
- 3-hour cleaning cycle.
- Cleans by scrubbing, vacuuming and filtering the pool water, floor and walls.
- Connects to a power outlet, no extra pool plumbing required.
- Made for cleaning an inground swimming pool no bigger than 50 feet long.
- The patented swivel cable prevents the power cable from tying itself in knots.
- Uses a cartridge filter system which is quick to remove and clean.
Questions And Answers
The remote control is not included. If you want it, then you have to buy it separately. The optional remote control has buttons for navigating the pool cleaner, as well as for choosing a short or long cleaning cycle. Owners do not seem to be impressed with the remote control abilities of the Triton. It is a slow process to direct and move it to the missed spots. The pool cleaner already does a good job at cleaning the pool, so is the remote control really necessary? It might not be worth the investment of time and money.
Yes, it does not have a problem with cleaning pools with vinyl liners. Its brush system does not damage the liner. It might struggle to climb vinyl walls, but this might depend more on the angle of the floor and walls than on the vinyl surface. Most people are happy with its performance in a vinyl-lined pool.
It has a 60-foot power cable, and the maximum recommended pool length is 50 feet. You probably need to keep that extra 10 feet as a buffer zone between the edge of the pool and the power supply that is plugged into a GFCI power outlet.
Its filter cartridges are large, but it requires regular cleaning if the swimming pool collects many leaves. Its intake suction ports are not very big and might get clogged with large leaves. Therefore, it does not perform so well with picking up leaves from the pool.
Triton vs. Nautilus: What’s the difference?
The Dolphin Triton includes a caddy, while the Nautilus is usually sold without a caddy. The Triton is able to receive commands from a remote control unit, while the Nautilus does not have remote control abilities. The Triton costs more than the Nautilus. The rest of the features are almost identical.
Dolphin Triton vs. Premier
These two robotic pool cleaners have similar features, but there is a small price difference between them. The Dolphin Premier costs over $1000.
The Premier does not include a remote control or a caddy. You have to buy it separately. On the other hand, the Premier comes with both filter cartridges and a filter bag conversion kit. You can read my Premier review to learn more about it.
Triton vs. Triton Plus: What’s the plus?
The Triton Plus has been redesigned with a new body and extra large size top access filters. You do not have to flip it over to remove the filter cartridges. The older model Triton and the Nautilus both have large size bottom access filter cartridges.
The Triton Plus also has a dual drive motor. Combine this with brushes that are split in two, and suddenly 90-degree turns are possible. The older Triton cannot turn on a dime like that.
The price of the Triton Plus includes the caddy as well as the basic remote control. The older Triton does not come with the remote control: it is an optional accessory.
Unfortunately, it seems like the Triton Plus model has also gone the way of the dodo. No matter, I think it is time to look at the newer Triton robotic pool cleaners.
Dolphin Triton vs. Triton PS
Two new models have been added to the Triton series for online sales in 2017: the Triton PS and Triton PS Plus. This makes choosing a Triton robotic pool cleaner much more confusing. Nevertheless, let us have a quick look at the new Triton pool cleaner models.
The 2017 models definitely looks different from the previous models. The Power Stream technology seems to provide the robotic pool cleaner with better turning and climbing abilities. Water is propelled out of the sides and back of the pool cleaning robot to give it better grip while climbing vertical walls.
The Triton PS weighs less than the older Triton pool cleaners. These pool cleaners both have two active brushes for scrubbing away debris and algae. However, the Triton PS has an extra large filter basket which is removed from the top of the robot. The old Triton still has bottom access filter cartridges.
The Triton PS Plus has an extra large top access filter basket, Power Stream technology, both quick and standard cleaning cycles, weekly scheduler, and Wi-Fi connection to a smartphone app. The old Triton Plus only has top access cartridges and a hand-held remote control.
Verdict
The basic pool cleaner body of the Triton and the Nautilus are very similar, thus it might seem a little boring and common. However, the Triton Plus includes new design elements such as a different body shape, dual motors, split brushes and top loading filters. As indicated, these original Triton models are probably obsolete.
The Dolphin Triton has bottom loading cartridge filters that are easy to remove and clean, but they hold less dirt and debris than ordinary filter bags. It also does not have a big appetite for large leaves, and it might become blocked after about a dozen leaves or so. This unfortunately means that the filters fill up quickly and needs rinsing after a few hours of cleaning a very dirty swimming pool.
The Triton cleans the walls and waterline as well as the pool floor, which is what you would expect from an expensive robotic pool cleaner like this. However, it does not really get the steps clean. At the end of the day, the sun has set on the original Triton robotic inground pool cleaners. Yet, the sun has risen for the fresh new design of the Triton PS and PS Plus (shop now on Amazon).
Dolphin Triton PS Review
What does the Dolphin Triton PS have to offer to the inground swimming pool owner that the old Triton does not offer? Is it worth paying a high price for this robotic pool cleaner?
Main Features
- 2-hour cleaning cycle.
- Good choice for pool lengths up to 50 ft.
- It cleans all pool surface types.
- Pool robot cleans the floor, walls, and waterline.
- Pool robot has a 60-foot tangle-free cable.
- Power Supply has on/off and weekly schedule functions.
- Triton PS weighs only 16.5 lb.
How does it compare to the old Triton?
The first thing we notice is the design of the housing. The old Triton still has the barrel shape with the handle and two floating devices on top in a blue and black color scheme. The new Triton PS has a gray, orange and black rounded box shape with rubber tracks. It definitely looks more modern.
The next feature is the filtration system. The old Triton has a bottom access filter cartridge system for either big or small debris. The Triton PS has a top access filter basket system.
These Triton robotic pool cleaners both have spinning brushes in the front and in the back. However, one of the brushes of the Triton PS spins at twice the speed for much faster scrubbing. It also uses Power Stream technology, which is simply the direction of water pressure from the internal pump motor out through two outlets on the left and right. These powerful streams of water help to increase the climbing and turning ability of the pool robot.
Which of these Triton pool robots are the heaviest? That is an easy question to answer: the old Triton weighs the most at 23 pounds. The Triton PS has a lighter design and weighs only about 16 pounds.
The last difference is the power supply. The Triton PS seems to have a weekly scheduler, which is not available for the old Triton.
What do owners think about the Triton PS?
Owners seem to like the Triton PS pool robot. They like the extra large top loading filter basket, which is much easier to reach and clean when compared to the bottom loading filter system of the old Triton. You do not have to turn the pool robot over just to remove the filters! Simply remove the filter basket from the top of the Triton PS, and rinse it clean with a water hose.
Owners would probably like it more if a caddy was included, for moving the pool robot in and out of storage. Unfortunately, a pool cleaner caddy is not included with these internet-only Dolphin models.
The Triton pool robot has trouble cleaning pool steps. Therefore, you will have to brush the stairs. Be that as it may, pool steps are a problem for all pool robots. Nonetheless, this pool robot is good at climbing and scrubbing the walls and waterline. It also cleans the bottom of the pool.
It is possible to do remote steering with the smartphone app, if you have the Triton PS Plus model (check price on Amazon). However, it seems to be difficult to control the robotic pool cleaner with the app. A manual remote control is probably easier to use. Therefore, the remote steering feature of the smartphone app might not be such an important feature after all. Most people will never use it. If the pool is not entirely clean after a cleaning cycle, they will probably just start it again for another cycle instead of trying to direct it to the missed spots with the smartphone app.
Which Triton model should I buy?
As discussed, remote steering using the smartphone app might be difficult. The act of controlling and sending the pool cleaner to dirty spots in the pool is frustrating and time-consuming. The central idea of an automatic pool cleaner is that it cleans the pool on its own. If you have to spend hours sending the robot here and there, you can save yourself a lot of money and simply do the pool vacuuming and brushing yourself.
To conclude, I would probably buy the Dolphin Triton PS. It is cheaper than the Triton PS Plus with Wi-Fi connectivity, and I might never actually use the smartphone app (buy on Amazon).