Robotic pool cleaners are a favorite of many thanks to the convenience they provide. The trouble is that it can be hard to make a choice from the large market.
Let’s take a look at this new series of offerings from Hayward, the TigerShark® Pool Cleaner series to see if they are up to snuff.
Hayward RC9950CUB TigerShark
Best Value Entry Level Model
Cleans your pool floor, walls, coves, waterline
- 3hrs Cleaning Cycle
- Up to 20' x 40' Pools
- Gunite, Vinyl, Fiberglass, Pebble and Tile Pools
- 55' cord length
- 21.5lbs weight
- 1 year warranty
- No remote control
- No Quick Clean Function
Hayward RC9955CUB TigerShark
Remote Control included
Cleans your pool floor, walls, coves, waterline
- Remote Control
- 3hrs Cleaning Cycle
- Up to 20' x 40' Pools
- Gunite, Vinyl, Fiberglass, Pebble and Tile Pools
- 55' cord length
- 21.5lbs weight
- 3 year warranty
- No Quick Clean Function
Hayward RC9990CUB TigerShark
90 mins Quick Clean Function
Cleans your pool floor, walls, coves, waterline
- 3hrs Cleaning Cycle or 90 min Quick Clean option
- Up to 20' x 40' Pools
- Gunite, Vinyl, Fiberglass, Pebble and Tile Pools
- 55' cord length
- 21.5lbs weight
- 3 year warranty
- No remote control
Hayward RC9950CUB Tiger Shark Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
The RC9950CUB is the basic form of the TigerShark series. As a robotic pool cleaner, it’s actually pretty good.
At an affordable price point, you can get one to ensure that your pool is in tip-top shape—without needing to hire a separate pool cleaner. Let’s take a look at what it has to offer.
Features
- Solid cleaning cycle—When you set this product into your pool, you can expect a thorough job. Hayward designed it to handle any pool within the size of 20’ by 40’; that’s an impressive amount of space and this product can climb walls and right up to the waterline. The cleaning cycle for the device is around 3 hours, which should be more than enough time to ensure that your pool is clean.
- Self-contained—This product’s only external connection is its cord, which can reach up to 50’. Everything else it needs is inside. This includes the pumps, the motors, and more. It even has its own filtration system so that it actually works with your pool’s filter to help lessen the water needs for backwashing. It even has a microprocessor-based guidance system to ensure that it covers your entire pool.
- Cartridge filter system—A lot of filter systems in pool cleaners are integrated into the device. This product does it differently; it uses a cartridge system to allow for easy cleaning. If you need to clean out the filter, simply pop it out and hose it down. You can then pop it in again. These filters are also durable and very tough, and will last years. When they wear out, the cartridge system also makes it easy. Just buy a replacement filter from Hayward and you can easily pop it in.
Pros
There are several positive things about this product.
- Easy to use—No complicated instructions here. All you need to do is push one button and then lower it into the pool; it will go and do its job. Come back in a few hours and pull it out to see the job done properly. Even maintenance is easy; just remove the cartridge filter, clean it, and then return it.
- Very thorough—This cleaner is powerful and covers your entire pool. You will love how clean the results are. Thanks to the efficient motors, it can clean pretty much any dirt or debris it can find in the pool. Your pool’s walls and floors will be shining when it’s done.
- Cleans all surfaces—Some pool cleaners may be limited in the surfaces that they can clean. However, the TigerShark series does not have that problem. Whether it is vinyl, concrete, fiberglass, or tile, this cleaner will stick and clean your pools and walls
Cons
It does have a few downsides though.
- Heavy—This cleaner is heavy. It weighs around 22 pounds, which is a lot to carry by hand. I would seriously recommend buying a dolly so that you can move it around with ease. You would also have a convenient place to stash it when the job is done.
- Gets stuck—Though it is automatic and very thorough in its guidance system, it does still tends to get stuck. This is mostly in the drains and in some obstacles. The pool cleaner hugs the floor so closely that any break can lead to the product getting stuck
Hayward RC9990CUB Tiger Shark Quick Clean Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
While the basic device does get the job done, Hayward is also offering two other versions of the product. One of them is the RC9990CUB and it has a couple of interesting differences from the base model.
Features
This product shares a lot of the features with the RC 9950. However, it has two big differences.
- Quick clean—The original TigerShark models had a minimum of 3 hours of cleaning time; that may be quick for the results, but it is still 3 hours. This model offers a quicker option of around 90 minutes—that’s half the time and with little difference in the results
- Longer warranty—It also happens to have a longer warranty than the base model. The original warranty length was 1year, but this model, you get three years in total for repairing your pool cleaner.
Pros
- Fast—This model is for those looking to clean their pools quickly. It could be a surprise party or an emergency inspection, but if you only had a few hours warning, this device can help.
- Easy to use—It is still pretty easy to use. The added option allows you to choose a setting. The simplicity of the operation is very attractive
Cons
- Needs attention—This cleaner will need you to look out for it, especially when it is moving at quick clean speeds.
Hayward RC9955CUB Tiger Shark Plus Robotic Pool Cleaner Review
The Plus version of the basic RC9950 is pretty interesting in its own way.
Features
This product is essentially the RC9950CUB but with a couple of additional perks.
- Remote control—This device can now be better controlled. You get a remote with this version so that you can ensure that no spot in your pool is missed.
- Longer warranty—Like the RC9990CUB, you get a longer warranty with this model
Pros
- More thorough–With a remote, you can better control the cleaning process and have the device come back to sections you want to pay particular attention.
- Power efficient—The product’s motors are very efficient and still powerful. They don’t consume as much power and still provide solid results.
Cons
- Confusing controls—The remote control is a bit hard to get the hang of at first.
Verdict
As you can see, the TigerShark pool cleaner series has a lot to offer potential customers. Each product has its own specific features that will make them of interest to potential buyers. Think about what sort of cleaner your pool needs and choose one of these three that fits the best.