eastside Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 new person here....pool owner for 23 years, always used polaris cleaners. i am trying to decide between the polaris 380 or the 3900. would appreciate any comments of the two before i make the purchase. thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Clown Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 I don't think Polaris makes a cleaner that just doesn't work. They are all good units, IMO. It basically comes down to what you can afford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polyvue Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 new person here....pool owner for 23 years, always used polaris cleaners. i am trying to decide between the polaris 380 or the 3900. would appreciate any comments of the two before i make the purchase. thanks in advance. Regarding reliability all I ever read about is how wonderful the Polaris 280 is but if you've owned this model (or any of them, surely) you know how annoying they can be as well in terms of tiny parts (that break one a time) and the constant fiddling required to keep them operational. If I was buying new I'm sure I'd have to buy the 3900 because I like new, shiny things. Probably performs nearly as well or the same as the 280 or 380. What's an extra few hundred dollars? heh heh If you elect to purchase the 3900, please post back with your opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txpoolguy Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Polaris has a pretty good reputation all around. I haven't used the 3900 yet, although it sure looks pretty. Choosing between the 280 and 380, I'd pick the 280. 280 is a good solid cleaner, and you'll save a few hundred bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFiremanFirst Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 Just my opionion. But I love the letro legend. You can get it in a platinum version too, however the polaris 280 is probably the most purchased cleaner on the market. I'm assuming you're using a booster pump? The most common problems with all pressure cleaners or any cleaner for that matter is maintenance. Bearings wear out, tires wear out and bags are sensitive to chlorine. Letro's bag is not nearly as good as polaris, now you can buy an adapter and use polaris bags on letros. For your own info, letro high jacked polaris and their bearings are interchangeable, or most of their parts for that matter. 380 is a good cleaner back to your original question, the 3900 claims to be robotic, the only info I have heard about the 3900 is that it tends to "stick" to the walls better than the 380. Robotic means that it should learn your pool and clean every nook and cranny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoatingDave Posted May 20, 2010 Report Share Posted May 20, 2010 new person here....pool owner for 23 years, always used polaris cleaners. i am trying to decide between the polaris 380 or the 3900. would appreciate any comments of the two before i make the purchase. thanks in advance. Haven't used the 3900 but have the 380. It is a good unit. Happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swim 'N Save USA Posted June 5, 2010 Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 we generally hear a few complaints regarding the gears within the 360 and 380 having plastic parts that break internally very quickly. From what I understand is the 3900 sport is supposed to be a much more rugged, longer lasting model (more money too, of course). If you would like, our service tech's can answer your question more in depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badpolaris Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 new person here....pool owner for 23 years, always used polaris cleaners. i am trying to decide between the polaris 380 or the 3900. would appreciate any comments of the two before i make the purchase. thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badpolaris Posted June 14, 2010 Report Share Posted June 14, 2010 My Polaris broke after 6 weeks. It's been almost a month since I first contacted Polaris about warranty. They do not replace a defective 380 cleaner they need to "fix" it. When I complain about the lenght of tome to Pool Pro in Quakertown, PA he says " :Polaris has a specific set of rules to follow under warranty. When I complain to Polaris, they say, " I'm sure it probably only needs a cleaning". So after paying premium dollars for an inferior machine & WORSE WARRANTY SERVICE, I'm spending hours manually vacuuming the pool. They may have made quality pool cleaners 23 years ago. My first Polaris 380 that came with the pool lasted only 4 years. The new one only a few weeks. I strongly recommend you look other than Polaris for your future pool needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 My pool came with a 380 when we bought the house two years ago; don't know how old it is. It has needed some fussing with 2-3 times but the local shop has always been happy to do the fussing. --paulr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwallace Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 Polaris has a pretty good reputation all around. I haven't used the 3900 yet, although it sure looks pretty. Choosing between the 280 and 380, I'd pick the 280. 280 is a good solid cleaner, and you'll save a few hundred bucks. ...and for anyone wondering just how pretty it is, heres a video with all the bling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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