Welcome back to Pool Pad, your landing pad for all things swimming pool related. I'm Kelly, and today, let's dive into the Zodiac MX6. I've reviewed a few of the most popular suction and pressure cleaners, and I am back again today to review one of the most popular Suction Side Cleaners of all time. But does its popularity mean it's a great cleaner? Or is it simply a case of tradition winning over performance?
After testing, I found exactly where it comes up short. The experience is among the worst I've been through, thanks to a complicated set up and horrible cleaning ability. Not to mention you cannot filter your water while running the MX6 unless you purchase an additional pool pump as well.
First, let's look at the MX6's pool coverage. This suction side cleaner can clean the floors to the walls and may even reach the waterline from time to time. On paper, this is great, but it still lacks a navigation system and can't efficiently clean your pool. Without a navigation system, the MX6 drives around your pool randomly, and you just have to hope it cleans.
In the end, this will mean you have to supplement cleaning cycles in order to get a truly clean pool. In addition to this, the MX6 does not have a scrubbing brush, instead only relying on suction power. The waterline and walls both need active scrubbing to really clean them, so while it may cover the whole pool, it won't clean it.
Even on the floor, suction is never enough for a deep clean. Since you have to hope that it will cover your whole pool, and since it won't really clean either, I have to give the MX6 a 1/5 in pool coverage.
Next, let's look at the MX6's filtration ability. The MX6 pulls whatever it manages to pick up through its long hose and ultimately to the main filter. There is no easy-to-remove filter basket here, or multiple filter types to help tailor the robot's cleaning. This means the MX6 will put more stress on your pool pump and pool filter and will struggle to clean up cloudy pool water and especially large debris.
That is if any debris gets to the filter since it has no scrubbing brush and relies on your pool pump for its power. Some users have said that the MX6 ran their pump dry, which is a very expensive fix. Since robotic pool cleaners do not rely on your pump, they won't ever run your pump dry. Since it has no true filter and risks running your pump dry, I have to give the MX6 a 1/5 in filtration ability as well.
Finally, there is the MX6's feature set and warranty. There are no extra features to speak of, and the warranty is as short as can be at one year. Instead, what you get is a difficult setup that requires piecing together hoses and more maintenance because of the antiquated design.
I especially miss having a programmable timer, which you can find with almost every robot from the Cayman to the Quantum, Premier, and Sigma. The plug and play design of Aquabot and Dolphin units is also something I have taken for granted, as the MX6 took forever just to get it into the pool. In every way, pool robots from the Dolphin Escape to the Sigma are all better.
The warranty is also only a year long, or half the time of even entry-level robotic pool cleaners. On top of already being very expensive, this makes the MX6 even more expensive because if it fails after a year, you could be out hundreds of dollars. A year is not a long time, and since it lacks any other features, I have to give the MX6 a 1/5 here as well.
Summing it all up, the Zodiac MX6 scores a 2/10 overall. There is no area where the MX6 can prove its value, and at every turn, it falls short, shows its age, and disappoints when compared to any robotic pool cleaner and even pressure-side cleaners. Not to mention it costs just as much as premium cleaners once you factor in the booster pump if your pool needs one.
Check back soon with the Pool Pad team, as we will be constantly letting you in on the best products and methods to keep your pool clean and healthy!
Save your money. Look for a more modern robotic pool cleaner, unless you want a suction-side cleaner.
