Betta SE Plus Catches Fine Surface Debris but Needs Human Help

I’ve been using this surface cleaner for about a month in a Florida pool surrounded by trees, including pines that drop an enormous amount of long needles and other debris. I already own a corded robotic cleaner for the bottom of the pool, so I bought this to handle what lands on the surface before it sinks. Overall, I’m glad I bought it, but it’s important to have realistic expectations. It collects debris. It doesn’t remove the debris from your life. You still have to empty and clean the basket, clean the edges of the pool, and deal with anything too large or too heavy for the robot. What it does well The fine-mesh basket is one of its biggest advantages. It collects leaves, pine needles, small pieces of bark, grass clippings and surprisingly fine debris. The attached photo shows just how much fine material it collected after grass clippings got into my pool. Much of that would pass through my regular handheld pool net. I’ve tried using an extremely fine-mesh handheld net, but the resistance makes it almost impossible to drag through the water. Having the robot do that work is genuinely useful. I will update this review in the spring when the pine trees release their annual massive thick yellow pollen which is a major problem I hope this bot resolves. The basket can also be removed while the robot remains in the pool, which I really like. And because it is solar powered, I normally just leave the unit in the pool and let it work. I strongly recommend buying the version that includes the plug-in charger. We had several cloudy days and I needed to bring mine inside and charge it. The small additional cost for that option is worth it. Where it struggles Heavy debris can overwhelm it. During windy weather, my pool can receive an extraordinary number of long pine needles. Once the basket fills, the robot can no longer collect them effectively and begins pushing them around the pool. In fairness, that is simply more debris than I would reasonably expect a small surface robot to handle. My video shows exactly that happening during a rainy day. It also does not clean right against the pool edge very well. Floating debris tends to collect there, and the robot approaches the wall and moves away. I still walk the perimeter occasionally with my regular pool net. Removing the basket is not always as easy as I think it should be. Mine consistently catches on one side and requires some jiggling to remove. Some waterlogged debris can also fall back through the intake while I’m removing the basket. Using it with a bottom-cleaning robot This is important if you already have a corded bottom robot. I would not leave the two running together unattended. My surface robot has straddled the bottom robot’s cord lengthwise and actually pulled the cord into its basket, where it sat running until I discovered it. I have also caught it heading directly toward the cord and intervened. My solution is usually to run them at different times. When the bottom robot finishes, I bring it near the edge and pull most of its excess cord out of the water before letting the surface robot continue. That works much better than repeatedly hauling my heavy bottom robot completely out of the pool. A handling issue Be mindful when handling the unit outside the water. While rinsing mine with a garden hose, I grabbed the upper edge of the body to tilt it and cut several fingers on an edge where the lid closes. The open lid also came down against my arm. There are protruding areas around the lid and basket assembly, so I now pay attention to where I place my hands when cleaning it. There is also a remote control for directing the robot or bringing it toward you. I haven’t needed it and haven’t even installed the battery. I can see in a larger pool where it would be handy but it goes back and forth and naturally comes my way and is easy to reach down and turn off the switch so I can empty the basket or turn it off while the Bottom Bot is at work. Bottom line This robot has changed when and how I clean my pool more than it has eliminated pool cleaning. It continually collects surface debris before much of it can become bottom debris, and the fine basket catches material that is difficult to collect manually. That is valuable to me. But it isn’t magic. Severe wind, heavy pine needles, large branches and debris gathered along the edges still require human intervention. Around here we now have three pool-cleaning robots: Bottom Bot: cleans the floor and walls. Top Bot: collects surface debris. Cindy Bot: cleans the edges, empties both bots, hoses everything out, untangles cords and supervises the entire operation. Unfortunately, Cindy Bot still has the biggest job. 😂🤖☕️