Water Tech Blaster Pool Max Reviewed

[MattW]

But seriously... I actually enjoy the process of vacuuming my pool (yes, I'm weird), and I think this comes partially from having a little bit of OCD when it comes to crystal clear water. However, the act of getting the hose out, submerging it, and hooking it all up is a bit of a chore. Add to that the fact that I usually have to clean out my big filter once a month due to my pool-noob move about 6 months ago which saw me lay sod and plants next to the pool - every time there's the slightest breath of wind, I get dirt, grass, and leaves in the pool. Yes, it will be going soon, and replaced with evergreen trees and astro-turf!

Anyway, I digress... I happened to receive one of those gadget-mailings, which my wife flicked through and came across something interesting. A vacuum for the pool. 'So what,' I hear you say, but this is a vacuum like you'd use in your living room, except for pools. You don't plug it into anything; it simply collects everything in its own 'bag'. I was skeptical, but went on to Amazon to see what the reviews were like, and there were about 3 different types, all of which had a minimum of 4-out-of-5 stars in the reviews. One had pretty much 5 stars across the board, and was only $150... I decided to give it a shot (I'm not going to mention the name in case anybody thinks I'm trying to sell my own product or something, but they're easy to find - search for 'hoseless vacuum').

One of the marketing Unique Selling Points was that it allows the lady of the house to effortlessly clean the pool when the man of the house isn't there. Now, this is a staggeringly sexist thing to state, but I must confess that there is some truth to it. When I'm away for a few days on business, I get home and the pool is filthy. It's not that my wife can't hook up the hose and vacuum it, it's just that there are more pressing things to be doing, such as looking after the kids, and so on. It's a sexist statement, but the truth of the matter is, vacuuming the pool is a time-consuming thing to do if there is only one of you home. This gadget promised to solve that problem.

And did it?

It arrived while I was, ironically enough, away on business. I arrived home to a pool that was utterly spotless for the first time ever. The device is lightweight, and has excellent suction. Because there's no faff involved with getting the hose out, it takes literally minutes to shove it on the end of your existing pool pole and suck up any bits of stuff that have sunk to the bottom. It's excellent, and I don't care which make or model you get, I highly recommend getting one. It also means I don't have to clean my big filter so often.

It also has a handle on the top of it so you can swim to the bottom of your pool and use it as a hand-vac, which is great if you're in the pool and spot a patch of dirt you missed! A full charge will give you an hour of vacuum time, which is a lot.

One of the best purchases I've made for the pool.

[RedwingT]

Ironically, I just picked one of these up yesterday. I actually got the broom instead of the vac for this year. I've dumped so much money into this pool this year I just couldn't go the extra. But it works and it works great! I just came in from using it and sat down to read at the forum and look what I found at the very top before my butt was on the chair 2 minutes!

I happened to be in the pool store to pick up stabilizer and was asking if there was a way to convert the Intex vacuum to go thru the filter instead of using a garden hose. I was informed that the pump was not strong enough to do such a thing which is what I suspected. BUT he says, I have these over here and I can't keep them on the shelf because many people like you are not happy with the garden hose method. He was out of stock but was getting a delivery the next morning so I put my name in for one.

When I got home I started ck'n round the net and his price was actually better than any other I could find, especially with having it in my hand in less than 24 hours. So, needless to say I am very pleased and quite frankly might just stay with the Broom for my smaller pool. You might not want to mention the name but I will. lol

Made by Water Tech. Look em up, there are 5 types for residential use. I had to put the brand out there because it was just SOOOO easy to use I don't want anyone to have to suffer with the pains of conventional vacuuming ever again! Granted this was the first time with it, but from that experience I give it a 10!

[PoolDoc]

Hm-m-mh. I actually started checking out this thread, to make sure y'all weren't shilling for a product company.

But, it looks like the products may well be as functional as you say; I check the Amazon reviews in some detail. Most were quite positive, and some of the negative ones seemed to be from folks who expected the vacuums to perform as well as a manual vacuum connected via a skimmer to a powerful in-ground pool pump.

There's been a lot of demand for functions these devices may provide, so I'm going to post links and then ask, as loudly as I can, if you get one of these, tell us how it worked out for you.

OK.

"PoolBlaster" is a the model name for a line of battery powered pool vacuum units made by Water Tech (http://www.watertechcorp.com/products-battery-powered.htm) of New Jersey. Water Tech may to be an American company, but the products are probably Asian imports. (Contact info below)

There are 5 models shown on Water Tech's product comparison page (http://watertechcorp.com/comparison-battery-powered.htm); I've linked the three that seemed most relevant to me. The product links go directly to Amazon.

http://watertechcorp.com/images/comparison-model-BATT.jpg

Water Tech BROOM Pool Blaster, Aqua Broom (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0015UCRXM/poolbooks) / YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAiHR7V2Lxo)
WaterTech BROOM page (http://www.watertechcorp.com/products-aquabroom.htm)
Pool Blaster BRFM Aqua Broom Sand and Silt Bag (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004U7N9YS/poolbooks)

The BROOM uses 5 D-Cells, which can get expensive, so I've listed both alkaline and rechargeable batteries


DURACELL D12 PROCELL Professional Alkaline Battery (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009V2QW/poolbooks)
Rayovac ALD-12 UltraPRO Alkaline D Batteries, 12-Pack (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000A6V8FU/poolbooks)

Tenergy D 10,000mAh High Capacity NiMH Rechargeable Batteries, 8-pack (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001AYIRH8/poolbooks)
Tenergy Advanced Universal Charger TN190 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B006OSQALU/poolbooks)



Water Tech Pool Blaster Max (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001B3SKN4/poolbooks) / YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOGj-6XMqTk)
Water Tech Blaster page (http://www.watertechcorp.com/products-PBmax.htm)


Water Tech POOLBUSTERCG Pool Blaster, Max CG (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002L61OGA/poolbooks) / YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOGj-6XMqTk)
Water Tech Blaster Max CG page (http://www.watertechcorp.com/products-PBmaxCG.htm)


Pool Blaster PBW022MF Micro Filter Bag (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005NOUJ6I/poolbooks)
Pool Blaster PBW022SS Max CG Sand and Silt Bag (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000JMI7DQ/poolbooks)


---------------------------------------------------

Water Tech Corp.
(800) 298-8800 / http://www.watertechcorp.com
10 Alvin Court, Suite 111,
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
(BBB file ("http://www.bbb.org/new-jersey/business-reviews/swimming-pool-equipment-and-supplies/water-tech-corp-in-east-brunswick-nj-12003188/))

[RedwingT]

No Shilling going on here. Just wanted to share the great experience I had with the product. It's easy to use, works well and is affordable. A great option to get away from the garden hose Method IMHO when it comes to the Intex pools. Obviously as Matt stated above, it works on other pool/spa types too.

Glad you posted the info for all to see PoolDoc!

[MattW]

LOL! Well, now that the mod has posted links, I will mention the one I got: Pool Blaster Max HD. I think it was $160 on Amazon, and I've had it for 2 weeks now. To be honest, I can't see me ever getting the hose out again. It works like a charm.

The one I saw in Hammacher Schlemmer was $269, but I can't see what the difference is between that one and the one I got.

[PoolDoc]

Yeah. HS is known, I think, for elaborate 'high-tone' graphic, and also for very high margins.

[Watermom]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing the information about these products.

[mshumack]

Also HS gives you a warranty for life (regradless of manufacturer's warranty). I tested it recently when my wife's iRobot broke after 4 or 5 years of faithful service. No questions asked - just send it back for a replacement.
But as to the PoolBuster - I have hesitated to buy one because I keep reading that the housing is not waterproof (as it should be) and after a year the motor goes bad and/or the battery goes bad from water intrusion. And repalcement of those costs as much as a new cleaner.
Hopefully the manufactuer will pay attention to these complaints and improve in this area.

[MattW]

Also HS gives you a warranty for life (regradless of manufacturer's warranty). I tested it recently when my wife's iRobot broke after 4 or 5 years of faithful service. No questions asked - just send it back for a replacement.
But as to the PoolBuster - I have hesitated to buy one because I keep reading that the housing is not waterproof (as it should be) and after a year the motor goes bad and/or the battery goes bad from water intrusion. And repalcement of those costs as much as a new cleaner.
Hopefully the manufactuer will pay attention to these complaints and improve in this area.

I did wonder how well these things are waterproofed, and also about the stress the little motor must be under the whole time it's running. However, because of the ease of vacuuming my pool with it (as well as not having to constantly clean the large filter), I figure that even if I have to buy a new one each year, $150 is worth it.

[Watermom]

Matt and RedWingT,
Please remember to come back to this thread in a year and give us an update on how the product is working. Maybe bookmark it so you'll be able to find it again.

[MattW]

Well, I know a year hasn't gone by, but it's been over 2 months now and, I have to say, I love this thing. I haven't used my hose vacuum once.

To answer the waterproofing question: it seems to be waterproofed very well. It's a pretty clever design, although I have to say the first time I used it I was a little apprehensive about plunging a piece of electrical equipment into a pool of water!!

As I say, I love it, but here are a few tips that I've discovered:
1) The filter bag is small. VERY small (which makes sense, bearing in mind the size of the device). It takes about a minute to empty the bag and re-fit it, and I recommend that you do so before (or after) every vacuuming session. Starting with a clean bag can help performance (especially if you've vacuumed up a decent amount of fine particulate matter) and it also allows you to unclog anything inside.
2) The manual says to recharge the vacuum after every single use for 8 hours. I've found you don't need to do it this often, but it IS important to maintain a decent charge on the vacuum or you'll find yourself just pushing dirt around the pool (I discovered this by experience!!). I've found that you can use the device for about 30 mins on a full charge (not necessarily in one go - perhaps 3 ten-minute sessions), and then it really benefits from a charge of at least 4-5 hours.
3) Leaves - forget it. Any leaf larger than, say, a quarter (or 10 pence piece to you fellow Brits), the hole in the bottom of the vacuum just isn't large enough to suck the leaf through. It's probably a good thing, too, as it wouldn't take many leaves to fill up the bag. I simply skim them off the bottom with the net once I've finished vacuuming.
4) The first few times I used it, when I lifted it out of the water at the end of my session, and held it over the pool to allow the water to fall back from the vacuum while I turned it off. DON'T DO THIS! I wasn't paying attention the first few times, but I eventually noticed that you get some previously-vacuumed matter fall back into the pool. It seems that the vacuum only operates under water - once it is in air, there's no suction so all of your dirt falls back into the pool!! I now move the whole thing away from the water, put up with the fact that I lose a few litres of water, and turn it off.

I'm very happy with this purchase. Even if the thing breaks every 6 months (and I'm not saying it will), it's worth the $150 to buy a new one each time, in my opinion.

On a similar topic - I have just returned from Home Depot, and noticed that in their pool section they now have a vacuum system that you plug your garden hose into. It has its own bag and, apparently the water pressure from the hose creates a vacuum, and it sucks up the dirt into its own filter bag. It doesn't use the pool filter. I've never used it, I have no idea how much water it gets through, or how effective it is, but it's only $25 in case anybody wants to try a cheaper non-pool-filter vacuum.

Cheers,
Matt.

[Racker]

Hi. I got the Pool Blaster Max in August of this year after seeing it on display at Leslie's pool store (although they were selling it for over 200 dollars, whereas I picked it up on Amazon for about $140 or $150). It worked very well for me during the swimming season for daily pool cleaning.

I have a large in-ground that's surrounded by vegetation too, so pulling out the vacuum every other day wasn't fun, to say the least. Getting large leaves with it was easy, and on most days I could clean the entire 40x20 pool without cleaning the filter bag, or only cleaning it once. Of course, I cleaned out the filter bag thoroughly after every use so it was always empty when I started cleaning everyday (it strikes me as a bit odd that some people wouldn't preform such easy maintenance on a fairly expensive product, all you have to do is knock the leaves out and spritz it with the hose for a few seconds). I also charged it after every use, but that said I had no trouble with the PB Max losing charge during clean up. To be fair to the people who don't clean their filter bags though, I did accidentally leave it on the charger overnight a couple of times (the manual says not to charge it in excess of 12 hours, if I remember correctly), though as far as I can tell this didn't have any negative effect on it.

Larger jobs are a bit much for the Max, though. After big storms, and during the very end of the season when lots of leaves were falling, the jobs became too much for the Pool Blaster and I still needed to pull the vacuum out. I also still used the vac every couple of weeks to get out larger particles, like sand and dirt, that the blaster wasn't so great at picking up. I didn't have any algae issues between when I got the Max and the end of the season, but I don't think it would be much help cleaning up a major algae problem (like a bad spring opening, for instance). But, hey, I guess if you have an extra pole to attach it to you could get a buddy to man it while you take on the vacuum; every little bit would help in that situation I guess!

So, sorry if I've been a little long-winded, but I saw this thread and figured I should weigh in since I have a Max and had a good experience with it. It seems like an expensive tool at first glance but I'd say it's worth it, especially if your pool has a lot of vegetation around it like mine does and you find yourself pulling out the vacuum more than you'd like. Plus, it's pretty cheap compared to an aquabot, and easier to use (at least compared to the last aquabot I had to deal with, which was from the early 90's).

Oh, and many of the negative reviews at Amazon seem to be saying that the Max would poop out in it's second season on the job. I've only had it for part of one so I can't comment on that. However I am keeping it's box indoors, not in the pool shed with the other supplies.

[MattW]

Well, folks, the day has finally come. I have had my Pool Blaster for 10-ish months, and it has finally given up the ghost. HOWEVER, I only have myself to blame for this.

To turn on the vacuum, you screw in a little plastic waterproof cap that completes the connection to the battery and fires the thing up. To turn it off, you unscrew it half a turn but, obviously, this breaks the waterproof seal. A few months ago we had a torrential rainstorm, and I totally forgot that I'd left the Pool Blaster outside (ironically to allow it to dry off!). The next day when I saw it, my heart sank, and when I picked it up, water poured out of the part where water really shouldn't be - inside the electronics. A few days later I could see the green corrosion begin to appear around the charging socket, so I gave it as good a clean as I could, and gave it a blast with some WD-40. It was reluctant to start the first few times, but I have to give the build quality some credit - it continued to function for over 2 months after this. A few days ago, however, it just could not be coaxed back to life after it conked out halfway through me vacuuming. I've re-charged it a few times, but still no luck. Peering inside, there is a lot of corrosion and rust, so I figure it had a good run, but is now pushin' up the daisies.

The interesting thing, though, is that I am just about to order another one. I have no qualms about it at all - it was incredibly useful over the past year (and I used it a lot). My only decision now is whether to go for the same one, or the slightly more expensive 'professional' one (I think it's called the CG) on the basis that perhaps the bag might be a bit bigger or perhaps it's more powerful, or something, but I've noticed a few threads with that exact question, so I'll have a read and see what people think of each. Anyway, I digress!

I hooked up the good ol' hose vacuum today to give the pool a quick once over (the first time since I bought the Blaster) and, I have to say, once the hose was hooked up, the actual vacuuming part is much quicker with the hose vacuum. There's less size to it, for one, so it glides through the water much easier, the surface area vacuumed at any one time is larger, and the wheels really help mobility. I got the sense that the suction was better than the Pool Blaster, too.

So, I figure, moving forward, I will probably now use both: the hose vacuum for when there's a lot of muck to pick up, and the Pool Blaster for spot cleaning when needed. To make a very long and waffly post short: there's room for both in my pool equipment! :-)

I hope this has been useful to anyone considering buying a hoseless vacuum. I promise not to mention the subject again! LOL. :-)

Cheers,
Matt.

[PoolDoc]

Thanks for the info!

[Racker]

I'm gonna have to update my post as well. My PBM conked out just a few days after taking it out of storage this year. I'm a bit torn on what I'm going to do; on the one hand, it is a great tool for day-to-day cleaning and my pool looked much nicer because of it. On the other, I'm not completely sure that I want to support a company that makes a product that won't last more than a year in many cases...but, it is true that I miss not having to pull the vacuum hose out once a week. Like Matt said above, the hose vacuum is better at vacuuming, if you ignore the setup time involved, but at the same time the Blaster also keeps a lot of junk out of the filter. I treated it well, and stored it properly, yet still it broke. I'm thinking I might open it up and see if I can't replace the battery, since I think that's what bit the dust.

Does anyone know if Pool Blaster has any competitors I could look into?

[dansdad]

I got the catfish because its rechargeable. I was really skeptical but I had 2 loose 1 " tiles on my steps and it sucked them up!!!!! I'm tired of my MX8 breaking down and needing new expensive parts. I don't know of another better vacuum cleaner. If you do please let me know. I guess I will clean manually. I can count on me! because I have to clean it

[PoolDoc]

@Racker: I don't know of any competitors. The other units I looked at had REALLY bad reviews.

What broke? Did it just stop running?

=====================================

@DansDad: What's an "MX8"? Are you saying your Catfish broke? Because of the tile?


I think I can ask Water Tech to take a look at this thread, if I can get more specific info.

[dansdad]

Ben, an MX8 is a suction side cleaner its a Barracuda made by Zodiac. It runs on a track system, but several times it comes off and the unit even broke internally needing several parts. I totally trust the business I bought it from, and after paying 400.00 originally for it , they were able to get parts for it but it was still around 250.00 and I know I wasn't charged the full amount as they felt bad. The tiles just worked loose , nothing knocked them off but I was surprised the catfish was able to pick them up! My zodiac is still working but it doesn't work as well as I think it should. It runs daily for 3 hours and still leave junk in the pool

=================================

BTW Ben, no the catfish (water tech) didn't break. As a matter of fact I am going to see if they make a larger model

[PoolDoc]

Thx -- I'm hoping this thread will reveal whether we should recommend the Water Tech products or not. Right now, they seem to be the best available alternative to manual vacuuming.

[Racker]

@PoolDoc: My brother was using it at the time that it broke. He said that it was getting poor suction for a bit before it completely conked out, which could be either a motor or battery problem, but I believe it is more likely to be the motor (which, I've read around the 'net, is what usually goes kaput on these units). Either way, I'm unfortunately not very handy and didn't have much luck tooling around with it.

I did end up buying another Pool Blaster not long after making my last post in this thread. So far so good, but if it only lasts the season like the last one, I'll be done with Water Tech. I did some research into alternatives, which mostly consist of various pool 'robots', which I'm not too fond of and are comparatively very expensive. At the moment, it seems, Water Tech is indeed the only game in town when it comes to non-robotic vacuuming alternatives.

I appreciate your hesitance to recommend the product, Pooldoc. I'm a bit torn myself. On the one hand it has made caring for my pool much more of a pleasure. On the other, the manufacturing quality is questionable at best. I'll have to see how my new PBM makes it through the off-season before giving my final verdict. Hopefully Water Tech is listening and tightens up their manufacturing process; I'd gladly pay a few bucks more for a more reliable product.

[Anonymous [GDPR] European in the UK]

Two years on and the Poolblaster Max CG is still working, I treat it with care as repairing is not really an option from this side of the pond. It is used all the time with the fine bag in otherwise it would just be a leaf collector. My pool 24ft x 12ft oval takes only minutes to nip round but at the start of the season with the silt that get through the winter cover it is only good for 40 minutes maybe 45 at max

[CarlD]

I'm on my 2nd one--the first went by the old name of "Pool Buster" like "Dust Buster". I suspect the "Dust Buster" people took legal action against Water Tech.

After a couple of years, the first one required a replacement battery/motor pack, ran for a couple more years and finally gave up the ghost. The new one, the Poolblaster, has been going strong for several years. I find it's better NOT to constantly recharge it but let it run down after each charge cycle, till it's nearly flat. I, too, use the fine bag. I haven't used a vacuum hose or a suction-side automatic pool cleaner in, I guess, 10 years. I've used the Pool Buster/Blaster and a robotic (first Dolphin then Blue Diamond) solely for all those years.

I believe I was the first person here at PF to purchase the original PB and I think it cost $200 at the time. Everyone, including me, expected it to be a hunk of junk and I was AMAZED at how well it worked, even with the original bag. Just used it yesterday, too.

[pmcdunnough]

Two years on and the Poolblaster Max CG is still working, I treat it with care as repairing is not really an option from this side of the pond. It is used all the time with the fine bag in otherwise it would just be a leaf collector. My pool 24ft x 12ft oval takes only minutes to nip round but at the start of the season with the silt that get through the winter cover it is only good for 40 minutes maybe 45 at max

I have had 3 over the past three years. None latest for more than a few months. Just stopped working. How do you treat it with care? Do you add silicon to the plug before using it or did the plug already have silicon on it? They include a packet of silicon with the unit so I've often wondered about that. What about after charging? Reapply silicon?

I thought I also treated mine with care but they all stopped working. I basically gave up on them but they are so handy that I recently bought a Pool Blaster Catfish Ultra and am hoping to have better luck with it.

There seem to be few alternatives. Perhaps if one could use one of those units that attach to a hose but instead attach it somehow to the return outlet of the pool using an adapter of some sort. That way you wouldn't be adding cold water to the pool.

A replacement battery/motor pack is almost the price of a new unit.

[wishIcould]

They had these at Sams club last year for $89. I bought it for the hot tub as the kids friends are always bringing beach sand in (YUCK and for the pool shelf that the auto vac doesn't get too. The piece on the bottom broke off easily that keeps the garbage from coming back in, the system was NOT waterproof... I went through 2 of them before I wasn't using it (yes I returned 2 in 3 months)... It's ok for $89 but no way would I bother cleaning my pool with it. The automatic pool cleaners are worth every penney, I've had mine for 4 years and replaced $20 in parts.. Maybe for a kids pool but not an inground pool.

My experience has NOT been great.

[Anonymous [GDPR] European in the UK]

I see Intex have a version out now, anyone used one yet? I may get one to test but my pool blaster is currently still working as I treat it well because it doesn't look the strongest product on the market.

[Anonymous [GDPR] European in the UK]

Two years on and the Poolblaster Max CG is still working, I treat it with care as repairing is not really an option from this side of the pond. It is used all the time with the fine bag in otherwise it would just be a leaf collector. My pool 24ft x 12ft oval takes only minutes to nip round but at the start of the season with the silt that get through the winter cover it is only good for 40 minutes maybe 45 at max

Update July 2016.
Pool Blaster developed a leak which has taken out the battery pack. I stripped down the cleaner to find water has damaged the two bearing on the motor shaft Because they are open bearings! On an under water product?? Water Tech are you mad?
New sealed bearings purchased and fitted, I had to remove a little metal from the gear as the new bearings are slightly thicker than the nasty open ones. Now water tight again, just waiting for the new battery pack (seems a Tamiya RC battery pack will fit), seeing if I can fit a larger battery pack for longer running.

Friends have bought the Intex version and used it along side the Pool Blaster, does a great job!